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What does Fish in sports betting mean?
In sports betting and gambling terms, the fish is the polar opposite of a sharp. While a sharp bettor does their homework and is well-prepared and gains deep knowledge into a sporting event before placing a wager, a fish is someone who bets big without putting in the time and effort to assess the situation before diving in hook, line and sinker.
Common belief is that the gambling term originated from the similarities to a clueless fish swimming in the water that grabs onto the first piece of bait it sees, blissfully unaware that it is attached to a hook on the end of a fisherman’s line.
These players are often also referred to as suckers and bring about a reminder of that old saying about a fool and his money soon parting ways.
In all forms of betting – sports, casinos and poker – there is always a fish. There’s an old saying about betting that if you can’t figure out who the fish is, better take a look in the mirror.
The thing about fishes is that they don’t realize they’re fishes. They keep betting big and losing and chasing their losses by throwing bad money after good.
It’s why sports betting sites are always willing to swim with the fish.