Poker Phrases for the Shark

This article sets out some common poker phrases you may have heard when playing or observing poker. There is nothing worse being surrounded by more experienced players discussing poker and not being completely sure what they are talking about. Quickly you will be exposed as a poker player that is potentially a target. For the benefit of those players wishing to increase their knowledge (which should be everyone reading this article) here are some common phrases and their meaning.

“Tapping the Aquarium”

We know that losing poker players are the reason we skilled players can win money. By tapping an aquarium fish are scared away. If you spot any players berating weaker players by acting arrogant or aggressive, often you will see the new or weaker player leave the table. Any opportunity to make money from that player is lost. That player has “tapped the aquarium” and scared away the fish. Another example can be discussing strategy at the table. This educates a weaker player and makes them harder to beat, do not do it!

“I’m getting hit by the deck”

Fear not, the dealer is not throwing the deck of cards at an unfortunate player, although we can all think of players we would enjoy seeing literally hit by a deck. This is a term used for when a poker player goes on a rush of good fortune and is dealt strong hands which allows them to win money. If in one orbit of hands you received AA, KK and AK this is classed as being hit by the deck. Conversely, you could be cold decked on the flop and lose your stack with these hands. Other common terms like this are on a hot streak, or “going on a rush”.

“Tanking”

Tanking is a term used when poker players “go into the tank” during a hand. This is usually when faced with a tough decision and they do not want to give away any tells during a thinking period. Normally players stay very still whilst making a key decision in the hand. Tanking can be used to deceive an opponent when you know what you are going to do in the hand but look to show you are weaker/stronger than you really are. Chris Ferguson is an excellent example of this method, he tanks (albeit to a lesser degree than other players) during every hand to eliminate patterns of behaviour that could give players information about the strength of his hands. Reading previous articles you should know to control every action when playing live.

“Donkaments”

This is a slang phrase mocking poker tournaments. We are aware that tournament poker has a high variance to your bankroll and even the best players can go for long periods without a significant win. Players who struggle with the strategy often refer to tournaments as “Donkaments” or tournaments full of donkeys. Often there are high amounts of poor players in tournaments seeking their big win so this is certainly not a bad thing, but the variance can be a frustration. The term originated from poker forums.

“Bonus Whoring”

This is a common phrase for online poker players. Generally frowned upon by the players who believe you should play to win at all times, bonus whoring means you deposit money to obtain a bonus and play only the relevant amount of hands to clear the bonus. You would then cash out your money and repeat at another site. Because poker rooms were exposed to this, many bonuses are now time limited and for the low stakes player it becomes more difficult to be a bonus whore. There are websites dedicated to players to whom this strategy is why they play poker, and many players see it as a challenge to obtain bonus money from the poker rooms. Although more difficult to obtain these bonuses, they are still a great way for players to increase their bankroll.

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