My Favorite Poker Stories

by Josh H | Owner and Editor-in-Chief

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Missed clicks that cause you to fold call or raise when you meant to do something else.
An Internet tough guy who tries to use the table chat to humiliate more polite players.
Your two-year-old deciding your computer mouse just is more interesting than the other 9,000 toys in the house.
The cable company deciding that during the final table of the Sunday guarantee would be a perfect time for maintenance.

These are all frustrating online quirks that are more comical in hindsight than real time. Once in a Royal Flush, however. these ordinary quirks turn into an epic online poker story. Here are some of my favorites.

Quirks that only technology could bring have made for some great online poker stories

Bad beat poker stories

The most common poker stories are accompanied by tiny violins around the world. Bad beat stories are designed to elicit sympathy and empathy confirming that you really are a good poker player but got robbed by a rec making a dumb play.

The problem with bad beat story is is that the poker playing recipient has already experienced the same result many times over so hollow platitudes are usually the most you’ll be rewarded with.

They are also stories told by a victim with a bad ending. Where’s the fun in that?

Just say no to bad beat stories unless you’re telling them in a measured way to try to spot possible ways in which you could have played the hand better.

Poker stories with no other purpose than to complain about bad beats comprise too much of the average poker player's speaking time — Poker stories with no other purpose than to complain about bad beats comprise too much of the average poker player’s interaction with other players

Funny poker stories

These are my kind of poker story. True stories of something amazing happening that defy the incredible odds with which you are well acquainted or simply something wackier than usual at a table full of wacky personalities. They make you smile.

If the poker boom had happened in the 90s you would have seen these published in the best-selling chicken soup for the poker players soul.

Josh H( Owner and Editor-in-Chief )

Josh is one of the world’s most respected online gambling experts. He has been featured on outlets such as CardPlayer, the World Poker Tour, Google News, and Forbes. Josh has nearly 20 years of experience reviewing poker rooms, casinos, and online sportsbooks. He launched Beat The Fish in 2005, which has been peer-certified as a trustworthy gambling portal. Josh’s proven systems and extensive knowledge of the iGaming industry have been used by thousands of online bettors to make more informed decisions.