Good Game

What is a Good Game?

In poker, a ‘good game’ is one where a player knows they have greater skill or more experience than their opponents at the table, and therefore they have a reasonably high chance of winning in that game. Players who want to win big will often seek out ‘good games’ with new or nervous players who are likely to lose at their hands. A game might also be called a ‘good game’ when everything is fair and above board. In internet shorthand, it is sometimes referred to as ‘GG’.

Good Game Explained

In poker some skilled players will seek out weaker opponents to give themselves an advantage at the table. Players who are inexperienced or have less skill for reading other players are often seen as targets by stronger players who are out to win. A game filled with easy challenges is sometimes called a ‘good game’, in that it is good for the skilled player who plans to clean up at the table!

A ‘good game’ is also used to describe a game that is fair and honest, such as one played in a casino or card room. Private games are not always run fairly or honestly, and players usually have no way to challenge an unfair game they have entered and lost at. If a poker game is described as ‘good’, players can feel safe joining it and know that house rules will apply at all times.

The phrase is also heard in a general sense to describe any stand-off or tense game which has been enjoyed by all participants and spectators, such as a closely matched poker game where two players faced off on extremely strong hands. Saying a round or hand was a ‘good game’ may imply that there was skill on either side and both competitors faced an even challenge against the other.

What to have a few Good Games? Read our poker guide.