So What is a Donkey and How do I know if I am one?
in Forum > General Poker Chat
Definition: If a poker player is called a 'donkey,' he's a bad player who makes blatantly bad poker plays. A weak player.
Donkey is also shortened to "donk" by many players to announce that they're playing badly or planning to, as in "I'm going to donk it up tonight."
Also Known As: fish, pigeons
A Donkey is a player that generally makes a bad move, simply because they don't know any different. There are many players that make poor decisions because they dont know any different. Sometimes those decisions pay off for them. Example: The first hand of a game, you raise 4 times the blind preflop with your AA and a player calls with 22. The flop is KQJ. You decide to bet big, twice the size of the pot. The player with 22 calls. The turn is an 8. You decide you dont want any more cards seen and you push in all your chips. The player with 22 calls. The cards are turned over, you look at the other player in amazement that they would even consider calling your all in bet. Everyone else at the table looks and wonders, "What the heck were they thinking calling all in with 22?" You smile, knowing you have got your chips in with 96% chance to win the hand and you are about to double up. There are only 2 cards that could allow the other player to beat you, and yet before you can think any more about it, the river is a 2 and you are sent to the rail. You want to scream, "DONKEY!" in frustration that you were beat by a player making such an obvious horrible move. Donkey players are part of the game, the sooner you learn how to play them, the move successful you will be. If you do not wish to be a Donkey, ask questions, learn odds, learn to determine what is the right play at any particular time, but don't worry if you hear it because we all make mistakes. It is part of the game.
