Shark - A very good player.
Poker is a game which combines elements of luck with
elements of skill. This means ♣ that in the short run, anybody can win regardless of how
well they play. In the long run, however, everybody’s ♣ luck tends to balance out, and
skill levels typically determine the winners and the losers. Since each individual
player plays ♣ differently, and at his own skill level, a rudimentary food chain forms
over the long run, with each player losing ♣ to those who play better than they do, but
profiting from those who play worse. The players at the top ♣ of the poker food chain do
very well and are often wealthy and famous. Those at the bottom of the ♣ food chain play
very poorly, and so provide opportunities for everybody who is higher up.
The food
chain metaphor is one ♣ that is commonly used in the poker community. Players who play
well and are higher up the food chain are ♣ often referred to as “card sharks,” or
simply, “sharks.” You may also hear these players referred to as “card sharps,” ♣ or
“vacuum cleaners,” or as being “tough,” or “strong.” The weaker players who are closer
to the bottom of the ♣ food chain are commonly referred to as “fish.” Fish are also known
by a variety of disparaging names including “donks,” ♣ “donkeys,” “muppets,” “monkeys,”
“bozos,” and many others. Occasionally, you will hear someone who is a really big loser
referred to ♣ as a “whale.” The term “whale” usually connotes large losses at high
limits, and can apply to either the pit ♣ or the poker room.
Many new, inexperienced, or
recreational players do not like to play against sharks. There is a good ♣ reason for
this. If one person is playing at a skill level which is significantly higher than the
other players ♣ in the game, he can often win a large amount fairly quickly, leaving most
everyone else in the game a ♣ loser. A shark may refer to a game like this as being a
“berry patch.” Weaker players do not want ♣ to play against someone who dominates the
game and they do not like feeling as if they are being taken ♣ advantage of. Many will
shy away from a game if they spot a player with a reputation for being a ♣ shark. They
tend to prefer a “friendly game,” where players are there to have fun playing poker and
are not ♣ really concerned with extracting maximum profit. When you first sit down in a
game, it is not always easy to ♣ identify the sharks and the fish. It is a good idea to
watch the action, even when you are not ♣ involved, so that you can try to get a line on
how everyone plays. And keep in mind the old ♣ poker truism, if you look around the table
and don’t see the fish, it’s probably you.
The bottom line is that ♣ if you want to make
a profit playing poker, you have to smart about game selection, and you also have ♣ to
become a shark. Being smart about game selection means avoiding games where the
potential for long term profit is ♣ minimal or nonexistent. This means avoiding games
where not enough fish are present or the field is too tough for ♣ you. Try to seek out
games with a high ratio of fish to sharks. Do not try to avoid every ♣ shark or every
single player who is tougher than you. First of all, this will not even be possible
unless ♣ you play very well, as there are typically at least a couple of decent players
in every game.
More importantly, if ♣ you are to become a shark, you need to have the
correct approach. Understand that becoming a shark is a ♣ lifelong process that is never
complete. No matter how well you play, there will always be areas of your game ♣ that can
be improved upon; there are always ways of doing things better. If you can accept this,
then every ♣ time you play is a learning opportunity. If you are paying attention, you
can always learn something, especially from those ♣ players who play better than you do.
When you are playing against a shark, take the opportunity to watch how ♣ they handle
themselves in various situations. Look specifically for spots where they acted
differently from how you would have, and ♣ ask why. You can also develop your game by
watching the fish. Being able to anticipate in advance how your ♣ opponent will act is a
huge advantage. Look for area where they consistently play poorly, and be ready to take
♣ advantage of that. The best players are never satisfied with their level of play and
are always hungry to optimize. ♣ That is exactly the approach it takes to become a poker
shark.
*Card sharks is different than a "card sharp" or ♣ "cardsharp". Sharks use skill
to win, while sharps are card manipulators or cheaters.
Usage: Shark On My Left, Seat 1
Is ♣ A Shark, Card Shark, Poker Shark, Table Shark
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Term: Shill
