Spotting the Fish is vital during any kind of poker session. Once this fish is spotted, you have to focus on one goal and one goal only, ask yourself in your mind of this goal: "How much money can I extract from this donkey."

Once you do this, the chips will slide your way, and it will be as easy as shooting a fish in a barrel.  Nevertheless, finding this weak link takes time, and the skill to learn how to spot the fish is one that very few have.  Being able to spot the fish is only a good thing, however: in different games it can become very difficult.  For example, online poker, live games, poker tournaments and even cash games.

One player might be a MTT specialist, but be the worst cash game player known to play cards. 

Reading players and determining the fish online

Having little or no knowledge of the player across from you on the virtual felt, picking out the donk online is indeed harder than you think. You do not have facial expressions, you cannot hear what they are saying, or for that matter - - what they are doing. My point is: reading players online is way more difficult that reading players at any live poker table. Thus, pointing out the donkey is as well.

Here are a few simple ways to spot the online fish:

  1. The chatterbox: talking way to much about certain hands.
  2. Viewing someone picks off his/her bluff: don’t let it happen to you. Remember what’s going on!
  3. Odd aggression
  4. The fish tries to over-buy the pot, when you know he has absolutely nothing!
  5. Odd betting patterns: ones that do not make sense at all.

Use every bit of information you receive to gather up a pile of facts on a specific player. Make a checklist of "fishiness" and if that player has more checks than less, well simply player note him as "THE FISH". Good luck in spotting this fish boys!  Fish are known to be slippery, don’t let him get away with your money; or any money for that matter!

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