Before joining an online poker table

by Stuart Hall (aka Know-nuffin)
(Hampshire)

You already know, or are learning how to assess other players at an online poker table; to add to your evaluation of your fellow players try this quick check.

It will not take you more than a few seconds to do, but will help you judge who the sharks are amongst those players at your chosen sites online poker table.

Go to the table lobby and click on some tables of a higher stake than you usually play on. If you see on the $.25/$.50 table; “Joe the fish” and again on the $1/$2 and $2/$4, do not assume Joe the fish will be too distracted to play against you properly, meaning you shall make some easy money.

Many online poker sites have the player table accounts alongside the screen-names in the lobby; when you read Joe the fish has $5 at the smaller limit table, $40 at the $2/$4 and $100 at the top table, consider it was not earned by a player who will freely give it up to you.

I watched a friend go to a $.25/$.50 online poker table I happened to be viewing and about to take a place at. I had seen Joe the fish waiting alone at the $2/$4 as well as being active on the $1/$2 online poker tables. My friend did not know this and also ignored the online poker table talk from others, tell tale comments like;

XXX: Hi Joe, what are you doing down on the cheap tables.
Joe: there is little action upstairs…. came down for some easy money

Shortly, Joe the fish moved seats, isolated my friend and removed him of $20 in fewer than 20 minutes.

My friend did not see the comment after he had left. ‘Plenty of donks here.’

Sure you can out play Joe the fish, but know who s/he is first.

Two things to consider;

...If you find Joe the fish sitting at one high limit online poker table and XXX is at another, why do they not get together and play each other.

...Talk by others can add to your knowledge base.

~Joe the fish is a made up name ~ my friend is real… and $20 worse off than before .