Whale

A very wealthy recreational player who plays huge stakes and loses large amounts without much concern. Whales are the reason nosebleed private games exist, and their presence is why 'game selection' matters.

Example. The Macau games ran at those stakes because a few whales wanted to play.

Related terms

Full glossary

Fish

A weak, usually recreational player who loses money over time. Not a term to use at the table; "recreational p…

Table selection

Choosing to play in games where the opponents are weakest — and taking the seat to the left of the biggest fis…

Nosebleeds

The very highest cash-game stakes — blinds of $500/$1,000 and up, where six- and seven-figure pots are normal.…

Angle shooting

Using technically legal but unethical tricks to gain an edge — pretending to fold, hiding big chips, ambiguous…

Bad beat

Losing a hand in which you were a heavy favourite when the money went in. Many rooms run a bad beat jackpot th…

Calling station

A passive player who calls far too often and rarely raises or folds. Never bluff a calling station; value-bet …

Cooler

A hand where two players both hold very strong holdings and the money is going in no matter what — kings again…

Crusher

A player who beats a game by a wide margin over a long period — the best regular in the room. Being called a c…