How do fish table games work?

Each player will have their own arcade-style gun, which they’ll use to shoot at the different fish that swim in front of them. Each fish has its own Hit Points (HP) and requires several bullets to kill and catch them. 

Shooting the fish means reducing its HP, and in some games, the number of bullets needed is randomized. Each fish is worth a different payout, which you’ll be rewarded with once you’ve shot and caught the fish. The more fish you shoot, the more rewards you earn.

Knowing when to shoot and when to hold back is a big part of the game. There are also different power-ups that you can use to maximize your wins and give yourself an edge. 

These games are different from regular slots because they are skill-based. Just shooting at any random fish won’t deliver the winnings you want and will ultimately drain your coins. 

Best strategies for winning at fish tables

Since there’s some skill involved with fish tables, you need to work on a strategy to help maximize your winnings. I’ve put together a list of the fish table strategies I’ve used to increase my performance to help you make the most of your game.

1. Targeting high-value fish

Fish table games typically have around 10–20 different kinds of fish, so check the paytable to get familiar with what’s available and how much each fish is worth. 

The rule of thumb is: the bigger the fish, the bigger the payout. You need to target the high-value fish, which are usually the biggest, and they’re often gold too. These fish will require more bullets to take them down, so make sure you’ve got enough ammunition available.

With the remaining fish, you need to see what’s going on in your game. While the small fish might look like an easy catch, they can waste your ammunition since their payout is on the small side. 

That being said, some fish table games reward the player who shoots the last bullet at the fish, which you can work to your advantage. If one of your opponents is taking their shot at the smaller fish, you could snipe the last few bullets and take the points. Fewer bullets, full payout.

Fast-moving fish are ones to avoid. These fish swim across the screen too fast for you to catch them, meaning you’re wasting ammunition if you try to shoot them down.

2. Using power-ups effectively

Every fish table game will have different power-ups that you can use to maximize your impact, such as a freeze bomb to freeze the fish in place. Check them out in the paytable to know what to look out for.

The timing of when to shoot at a power-up is critical. You need to be sure you have enough bullets to activate the power-up, otherwise, you’ll just drain your coins. You also need to have enough ammo left over to make the power-up worth it. For instance, if you have 40 bullets left, but it takes 35 to activate the power-up, there won’t be much left to shoot the fish with.

Before activating the power-up, take note of the fish that are swimming by at the same time. Time your power-ups for when there are lots of fish on the screen, especially high-value ones, so that you can make the most of your ammo and the power-up.

Finally, be aware of what else is going on in the game. As most fish games are Player versus Player (PvP), take a quick look to see if anyone else is shooting at the power-up. It could be the case that you’re helping your opponent activate the power-up quicker for themselves, leaving it open for them to snipe all the fish away from you.

3. Managing ammo and bet sizes

The high-value fish have bigger payouts, so hitting them with bigger bets will lead to bigger wins, right? 

You need to be careful here. While yes, hitting a bigger fish with a higher bet will result in a bigger payout, a bigger fish will require more bullets to kill it. Each bullet takes its ammo from your coins, meaning playing on a high bet and shooting repeatedly without killing anything will just drain your coins. Shooting at every single fish you see will have the same effect, too.

You need to have a plan for your bet sizes. Assign a budget that you’ll spend on the game session, and calculate how much you’ll use to bet on different fish sizes. 

Besides setting a budget, you also need to look at what your game plan is for that session. For instance, if other players are shooting down a big fish, shoot the same fish and work together. This requires less ammo on your side to bring it down, and if you get the last shot, you’re awarded the points.

You also need to adjust your bet size according to the fish. This will help you avoid accidentally overshooting a fish with a bet size that’s unnecessarily big for it. Save the big bets for the big fish.

Finally, focus on one fish at a time. Don’t shoot at random, but choose a fish that’s within range and shoot it down. Some fish games only allow you to hit the fish that’s closest to you, so if a fish is further away, you’re hitting the fish that are blocking it instead. If Auto Lock is an available feature, you’ll be able to shoot at range.

4. Practice with Gold Coins first

Since fish games are found at sweepstakes casinos, you’ll be playing them with Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). While playing with SC to redeem prizes is an exciting idea, don’t rush in without practicing first.

Use your GC and play for fun. This is the time to get familiar with the game, its rules, and to test out your strategy. GCs are easily replaced, whereas using SC before you’re ready means you’ll have less available to redeem for rewards.

While testing out the game with your GCs, there are some things you need to look out for. First, understand how bet sizes work for each shot. Each shot takes up a pre-determined number of coins, which increases whenever you want to increase your ammunition. You’ll also want to test out the effectiveness of each shot at different bet sizes.

Be aware of the payouts per fish to know what you’re getting for your coins and different bet sizes. This also applies to the power-ups since these cost coins, too. Plus, don’t forget the role they play in maximizing your wins.

When testing out the game, you should study how fast the fish move, too. The fast-moving fish won’t be worth the bullets, but the remaining fish will move at different speeds. Test out how easy they are to catch.

5. Battle against less skilled opponents

Some fish table games will let you choose the level you want to play at. If you’re just starting out, go for the lower levels to build up your skill level. Since it’s a multiplayer space, playing against much stronger players will put you at a disadvantage before you’re ready.

Common mistakes to avoid

When I started playing fish games, I made many mistakes, ultimately leading to more losses than it was worth. Shooting blind, shooting at anything, and not managing my bets were all things I did wrong. In this next section, I’ll talk you through the “don’ts” in fish table games, so that you have the best outcome.

❌Wasting ammo on low-value fish

Your available ammo is based on how many GC or SC you have, and one bullet can be as little as 20 GC or as many as 2,000 GC. Shooting blindly drains your ammo, and hitting low-value fish might not make up for the GCs you’re using up. 

Each shot is like a spin on a slot, so keep track of the coins you’re using. If its payout isn’t more than what it cost you to kill it, then it’s not worth chasing. Generally, you need to save your ammo for the bigger fish and enjoy a more rewarding payout.

However, if your opponents are shooting at the smaller fish, that’s a good opportunity to shoot at them too. Let’s say it takes 10 bullets to kill a small fish, and so far, your opponent has shot 7. If you can get in and shoot the last 3 bullets, then you take the points for the fish without using so much ammo.

❌Ignoring multipliers and power-ups

Multipliers and power-ups will come up frequently throughout the game, and they’re useful tools. If the timing is right, get them. Remember to think about what else is on the screen at the time and what the power-up will cost you, but these tools are designed to give you the edge and maximize your potential win with the ammo you have.

❌Chasing losses instead of using a strategy

Like with games of chance, it’s important not to chase losses. Since fish table games are based on skill and not luck, you have more control over what you do with your coins.

If you’ve been shooting blindly and draining your coins for a while, don’t keep trying, hoping that eventually you’ll hit something. Make sure that you have your strategy in place so that you make calculated shots and go for the fish that matter.

In the same way that it might help to go for the smaller fish if your opponents are already shooting at them, that can apply to the big fish, too. If you don’t have enough bullets to shoot down a high-value fish, you’ll spend a lot of time shooting at something that won’t pay out. If your opponents are trying to take down the big fish, it will require fewer bullets from your side.

Ultimately, you need to keep an eye on how much you’re shooting, versus how much the fish is paying out. If you’re spending more than winning, it’s time to stop.

Bankroll management tips for fish tables

I’ve put together a few tips to help you manage your bankroll when playing fish tables, which you can implement as part of your strategy.

FAQs

Sources

• GameSense
• GamblingNews
• GamblingNews