Poker Players - Which type are you, Fish or Fox?

Poker is said to be a game that takes a day to learn but a lifetime to master so on your quest for world poker domination or at least the path to making a few extra quid, figure out the type of player you are and use it to your advantage.

Believe it or not poker players can be categorised by their behaviour at the table and their overall style of play for example, some can be very aggressive when playing whereas others may be considered more passive. Some are risk takers to the point of lunacy; others only play with a virtual sure thing. So which category do you fit into?

The Fish

'Fish' is a popular term used by poker players to describe those lads and lasses that really don't have much of a clue when it comes to playing poker. It can be down to being a beginner or simply be somebody that never got the hang of the game. Fish have very little understanding of their hand and even less of the probability that it will win...
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Over-valuers

The most common type of player in today's fast paced world of poker, 'Over-valuers' have a reasonably good idea of hand values and will understand that when they've flopped top pair that they are in a decent position. But 'Over-valuers', similar to 'Fish' will not consider what their opponents hold, concentrating only on their own cards...
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Rocks

A fair proportion of players who play poker regularly go on to become 'Rocks'. This is a little further up the food chain from the 'Over-valuer' but not quite up there with the big guns. Most Rocks are profitable players but only in low-limit games as they have mastered enough to beat out the 'Fish' and 'Over-valuers'. So what makes a 'Rock'...?
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Deep Thinkers

These players have complete knowledge of the cards they are holding, they also give serious thought to their opponent's potential hands but where they fall down is their tendency to give both their cards and yours too much credit...
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The Aggressors

If you play with all the power of uncontained aggression then this is you! Aggressors don't understand their hand value, don't consider yours, hardly glance at the board but instead will bet like lunatics at every given opportunity in a bid to get their opponents off the hand and steal the blinds...
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Foxes

The ultimate player in the game of poker is, undoubtedly, the 'Fox'. If you fall into this category then good for you because you'll probably go on to make a nice tidy living from the game. At this stage, players who fall into the 'Fox' category have worked everything out and put it all together in a neat little package that will see them win big...
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Though it's a good idea to identify your opponents styles and the pigeon holes they fit into, always remember that no two players are alike and though your competition may display all the signs of a certain player type, professionals know all too well how their play is viewed and can mix it up a little as the game progresses so don't get caught in the trap of thinking you know exactly how they will play on every hand or you could be out of the game before you've even gotten into your stride!