About donks

zinzir

zinzir

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)
 
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moosepaw

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Newcomers coming to a competitive game of sorts will typically have lower expectations, but they will also be much less efficient at the game than veterans.

Keep the positive vibes going!
 
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canabero

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everyone is free to play the way they want. anyway sometimes is good to take some donk decisions especially against players that has troubles whit patience and are tempted to play overrated hands most likely after flop.
 
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brazilpescador

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an important thing if the majority are donk are they that massively make the player earn money. imagine a field with only professionals likely to not earn money for the site or for the players. this doesn’t mean they don’t make us angry or discouraged very often
 
VivicvrMga

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I prefer to play the game consistently.
 
GIRFIED

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It is true that in the forum there are many posts where they express, mainly with complaints, their frustration and criticism about this type of players, but I think it is a waste of time.

I really liked reading your post, because you explain in a fun way the characteristics of these players and I can say that it is very ingenious of you.

As for the "Donks" there are situations where they can be applied, in my case, I like to make "Donks" in some situations to "induce" my opponent to make movements in situations where I would not normally do them.
 
D

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That was an interesting post to read and you make some good points.

My attitude is (as expressed elsewhere) if people choose to play aggressively or as a donk, people can choose to comment on it. Typically, one comment is no more valid than another- they are just opinions.

However, what I like about the thrust of this post is attempting to change perspective which is always a great thing in poker. The broader your thinking, the better your play.

Just recently I have been playing a selection of tourneys in a much looser manner. Probably about 25% of them. Its been an abject failure but not without positives. First, when you crash and burn playing a less than premium ace, you are not bent out of shape as you know better, you know you are taking a risk. That's the short term. In the longer term (too soon yet as too small a sample size so to speak) I am not sure how I will fare.


I suspect I will revert back to a TAG player in the main but then adopt a looser style sporadically. Even if I do not feel comfortable, I know one benefit will be that opponents cannot pin the playing style down perfectly. From time to time you are going to confound them with a surprise play.

And that is a key benefit is it not, of playing the donk style? When you do have the nuts and people perceive you playing too loosely, in those hands you absolutely kill it.
 
Nikolay Nakhaev

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)
This post really amused me
this is a good good fun judgment about the game and types of players[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji122][emoji122][emoji122][emoji3][emoji3][emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]
 
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myquickwit

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All I'm going to say is I really enjoyed your commentary. I found it quite entertaining. Any other thoughts about donks and poker I will keep to myself.
 
Poker_Mike

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)


A donkey poker player simply does not know when he/she is beat.

Thus they will not fold due to?.....optimism? ok then.

Sometimes a donkey will get there because they don't know any better.

But no donkey will every be profitable in poker in the long-term.....so they better enjoy their victories!

Good luck !
 
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encdz

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After maybe 50 hands, you'll be able to tell who is a donk. And then it's hello donk money! I like donks at my table. It's how I build my bankroll

I do switch it up from being TAG though, for sure. With people having HUDs, and i have a vpip/pfr of 15/12, then donk betting will for sure have them confused as I'll appear to have monster hands
 
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teebahnoo

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Well said, donks are great as long as I know who they are :)

The only issue is with people taking a donk line occasionally, perhaps on tilt - I for one surely do it when tilted. Such a style induces a lot more variance into the game. Might be more fun or liberating but only to some extent.

You only need 3 people to call you each time you have pocket aces and you’ll loose more often than win. In a tournament in the context of rapid blinds structure losing most of your premium hands it’s a disaster.
 
AlexBlefer

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Hello Donks (id) lool is my friend and crushing mtts :D
 
AlexBlefer

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If you only have planned to play freerolls it's fine what you say, is ok
But if you really want to play poker with real money in medium, low or high limits you can't go with that game theory, you will lose a lot of money
true:icon_thum
 
Joe

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)

As someone else mentioned above, very original and clever post!

It's an extremely valuable skill to be able to see things in ways others do not, to be open-minded and not scared to be different- I commend you for that!

Question:

If I bring carrots, sugar lumps or something like that to the table with me, will this help pacify any donks at my table and dissuade them from cracking my kings with J3s and let me live?

If not sugar/carrot but something else, then what? :)

It would be +EV to communicate to any donks that I do not hate them and they're not my enemy, I mean you no harm! :flute:
 
muse713

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)

Bravo Bravo. I love it! :D:D
 
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fundiver199

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Ha ha this is funny as well. Even more funny there is no universal agreement, what a donk actually is. Someone asked that question here in CC forum a few month ago and got like 50 completely different answers :)

What is certain is, that a lot of people feel entitlement in poker. This is why, you see grown men whine like a baby, whenever their aces get cracked, or they lose a few big pots to someone, who made a questionable play.
 
deyvsonflp

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It is always good to find one at our tables. For those who complain about donk, they still don't understand that poker is a game of people and in the long run. Once you identify one, just adjust and do your best. The result doesn't matter. And those who are profitable don't even care about it because they know that in the long run donks will be giving them money.
 
Eric Salvador

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I think it could be summed up in one sentence. Most donks are in it for the gamble.
 
Lena M

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Hello.
Although poker is just a hobby for me, I never understood the donkey players. I do not see any meaning or pleasure in such a game. I think it is a waste of time.
 
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oh my how many donks I meet this month and they always beat me.. I can't take it anymore and start to play as a donk myself... will try to not play while I'm feeling messed up
 
DizzyDeb717

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There is plenty of frustration and criticism expressed on CC regarding donks, and I'm afraid that much of it comes from insufficient knowledge about the species. As a donk myself I would like to share with you some insight.


Donk play, even though not as profitable as tight aggressive play, is superior to passive play of any kind, and has the advantage of being quite enjoyable and liberating.
As a donk, knowing that you are making decisions that are questionable at best and downright reckless at the worst, you don't feel frustrated by a negative outcome, and appreciate a positive outcome to the fullest.
There is no feeling of entitlement because you don't keep folding, waiting for that monster starting hand to finally trap someone.
As a donk you receive less bad beats than you give, and even when you suffer a bad beat it only feels natural. True donks almost never berate their opponents after receiving bad beats, and that is not due to having superior manners, it's because donks truly experience less frustration.


Here are some donk traits that are not only useful in poker, but also carry well in everyday life:


Donks are optimistic, expecting a positive outcome even when the odds are stacked against them.
Donks have thick skin and care less about what others think about them.
Donks don't judge others, and don't feel the need to tell them what to do or what they should have done.
Donks are resilient, they tend to recover after significant losses sometimes on sheer positive expectation.
Donks are unafraid, even being surrounded by sharks will not deter the donk from executing his plan.


So if you are a fellow donk yourself wear your accolade with pride, and for the other folks who never play in freerolls like a donk, you don't know what you're missing :)

This was a fun read, thanks :) I've always wished I was lucky or rich enough in general to play like that. It sure gets people going. I watch the hands, and rarely regret a fold because I would have been beat. The "donks" I see hit everything all day long.. why would they fold? must be nice lol
 
moulan7

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But what's the definition of donk?

If you are taking the definition from what we call a donk-bet, either it's a leading bet against the original preflop raiser or a min bet to a huge, in comparison to the bet, pot, then I can't see how these moves can construct anything like a strategy that could labeled under a name, like lets say donk strat :p.
I guess 'donk' more goes to describe bad behaviors and leaks rather than thinking choices and winning moves.

After your post, description and your thoughts on the subject you don't sound so much of a 'donk' to me.
Probably you could write almost the same things describing a LAG which is an entirely different case.

But then again maybe I'm taking it all wrong and you know exactly what you 're talking about xD.
Can you elaborate? Definition of donk please! xD
 
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