The poker community are a folksy bunch that have sort of created their own language. Visit any local cardroom or poker forum and you’ll hear and see curious names for different things. One of the more amusing things they’ve come up with is naming player types by animal. It’s an effective way of labelling their opponents and allows them to modify their strategy accordingly. If you’ve played poker for many years, you’ll know the names already. However, if you are new to poker and want to learn more, read on, as we will let you know about the common poker animals found online and in casinos.
The Shark
A shark, like in real life, is a predator. They are top of the food chain and king of the ocean. So, logically this follows suit at the poker table. A poker shark is the professional who knows all there is to know about winning. They are ruthless and attack weak players at will. They don’t show mercy at the table and are entirely focusing on beating the game to win money. These are players you should avoid if at all possible as there are always weaker players to go after.
The Donkey
A donkey is known as a generic bad player in online poker. They make foolish moves without rhyme or reason. We’re not sure why a donkey is known as a clueless player. Donkeys are not notoriously stupid or anything like that. Nevertheless, if you’re at a table and hear someone label another a donkey, it’s an insulting term and reserved for the worst of players.
The Mouse
Our final animal is known as the mouse. This label was created by the king of the WSOP himself Phil Hellmuth. Like the animal, a mouse poker player is silent. A mouse is someone who plays very passively, rarely entering the pot but for the best of hands. This type of player is also known as a “rock”. It’s a player that rarely engages with other players and only focused on playing the best hands. These players can actually win money in some games as players fail to react accordingly to them. To an expert, a mouse is easily to play against as you can bully them constantly. They are predictable as a raise from them generally means they have the best hand.
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