Polycarpus
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Beginners article: Playing fishI posted below article on 2+2, and as Brokestar gave me a positive comment, I now dare to share it with the tagpoker community as well. 
A friend of mine started playing poker, and does quite well against thinking players. But against fish, he's changing his strategy purely based on the fact that they are fish, and tilts away his bankroll when he loses against them.
I wrote this little article for him, it might be of some use for beginning players who have difficulties when they play against fish.
I. Interpret your information
Poker is a game of (incomplete) information. Stats you get from your HUD or from online databases like Sharkscope, show only part of the picture. Don’t forget there’s a lot more to it, and part of the information might be misleading.
Cliffnote: It’s not because someone’s graph looks fishy, that this person will always be a fish. Use your information, but don’t jump to conclusions too quickly, and update your perception of your opponent with every hand you play, don’t stick with the first label you give him.
II. Identify leaks
It’s not because somebody is a fish, that he sucks at every aspect of the game. Don’t just assume he’s bad in everything he does. He might go on tilt easily, disregard bankroll management, bluff way too much, never bluff at all… but play a quite ok game in the other aspects.
Cliffnote: If you don’t identify what are his leaks, he is not a bigger fish than you are in this game.
III. Exploit leaks
Suppose your fish opens every button to t100. Well that’s a leak, and you managed to identify it. Do you have a better chance of winning the game now? No you don’t, unless you find out how to exploit this leak. How should you change your strategy in order to profit optimally from his mistakes?
Cliffnote: If you don’t know how to exploit his leaks, he is not a bigger fish than you are in this game.
IV. Fish get good hands as often as you do
Your fish bets big on every river. You called him a couple of times, and he bluffed every single time. The next hand he goes all-in on the flop, and you decide to call him with A-high, because he’s a bluffing fish. He turns over top two pair and you go on monkey tilt.
Cliffnote: Fish get good hands as often as you do. It’s not because they bluff every opportunity they have, that every bet they make is a bluff. Half the time, their hand is better than yours.
V. Conclusion
If you’re playing a fish, ask yourself the following questions:
• Is he really a fish?
• What are his leaks? (and make notes about those!)
• How can I exploit his leaks?
And don’t think you “deserve” anything against a fish, definitely not getting better hands. But if you successfully exploit his leaks, you will win more games than he will. Not all of them though.
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