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Poker Mistakes

31 March 2009

Beginner
1: Playing too many hands
Beginners will often think having one strong card in their pocket is good enough to go in on; they will often play hands like JS 3D . Most pockets will contain something of this nature and so you can find yourself going in on almost every hand. This can decrease your bankroll considerably.

2: Playing above your bankroll
People will often become greedy and play in games they cannot afford or games with strong competition. Playing in the lower limit games and gradually working your way up the stakes is best to know your ability and your limits.

3: Becoming too emotional at the table
You may feel hard done by and get beaten on several occasions you you feel you should have won (a ‘bad beat’), you will play against annoying opponents, players which always make you fold by all-in bets for example; it is very important to not let your emotions control your decisions. Desperation to beat an opponent or increase your bankroll considerably can end up with a frustrating loss.

4: Not using pot odds
Many beginners will not make use of ‘pot odds’ they can help you determine whether you should continue for another round or not. Baring in mind many beginners will call too often (calling stations) it is worth using these. Many pot odd programs can be downloaded and ran along side your poker game, visit www.potoddcalculator.com to find out more.

5: Using a two-colour deck
When most people think of cards, they think of two colours, red and black; there is an option with some online poker rooms to have your cards displayed in four colours. This can be useful as sometimes the mistake of a cards suit can be very costly; take a flush for example a hand which you may bet a considerable amount on, missing on card here will more often leave you with a simple high card hand, only making your opponents fold here will save you.

6: Imitating other players
Many beginners will learn how to play, when to bet or fold or raise by watching and imitating others. One player’s reason for their decision probably has little applicability to your own hand/game.

7: Overvaluing Suited Hands
Having two cards of the same suit it better than the same cards unsuited, obviously, but that’s about it. With suited cards you are basically looking for a flush and the chance of achieving a flush from the flop is under 12%, fairly low. Therefore be aware of the suited cards but look at their value, as this is more important.

Intermediate
1: Not considering opponents' hands
Your hand my be very strong but you have to remember to win (without bluffing), it has to be better than all of your opponents. By looking at what possible hands your opponents could have and what style they play will help make decisions on how much to bet and when to maybe fold.

2: Playing too many multi-table tournaments
Winning money consistently in multi-table tournaments is very difficult due to the large amount of players competing where luck is also a factor. Learning and improving your poker skills are more difficult in multi-table tournaments as there is often little post-flop action. Low stake ring games are available with most online poker rooms, that way you can improve your skills without losing large amounts of money.

3: Not tracking statistics
Even some very good players will not pay attention to their wins and losses overall. Playing in multiple online poker rooms will make totals harder to calculate and if you want to be in profit overall you should be aware of your bankrolls. Analysing your gaming statistics can also help improve your game-play; it will make you aware on what game types you are better at and which you can improve on or just avoid.

4: Playing too predictably
You are bound to be playing with some players that are just as good as you or better, in which case the way you play will be noticed throughout the game. By changing your style and mixing up the way you play will keep them guessing and you will have more control.

5: Playing too many different types of games
Playing several types of games will not necessarily mean you will earn more, you should figure out which game you are best out and concentrate on improving that game. By all means have a taste at other games but focusing on one will be more beneficial in the long run.

6: Moving up limits to escape bad beats
Low stake poker games will involve a lot of beginner players and a lot of betting on anything and everything. This is an easy set up for a frustrating bad beat; because of this players will often play in higher stake games thinking that the style of play will suit them better. However playing with beginners at low stake games is to your advantage and this loose playing style can help you win overall even with some frustrating losses. If you are unable to defeat the low stakes players over time, then it is highly doubtful you will beat the higher stakes players.

7: Making bad folds post-flop
Many intermediate players will play the opposite to beginners and end up folding too much. Playing this tight is not always best; remember some beginner calling stations will be present in these games also. If you have a strong hand but it is not the best there could be, it does not necessarily mean one of your opponents has it. Again this comes down to knowing your opponents style, you own styles and how you bet.

Advanced
1: Missing Value Bets
This is basically knowing how to get the maximum value from your hands. Value betting is very dependant on the game-type and individual situation. For limit games you should be quite aggressive with you betting; due to bets being so small, more opponents will call. For no-limit you need to be more aware of what your opponents could have. You also need to be aware of what your opponents think you have and beat accordingly.

2: Not Paying Attention
This is a beginner mistake but can be an experienced players mistake not only when playing in multiple games but in one single game also. It is a lot harder to improve your game-play when competing in 3 or more games at one time.

3: Poor Game Selection
A similar mistake to beginners but for a different reason; more advanced players will be over-confident and choose to go in on very high stake games because they think they are good enough to win. It is important to remember in any game any one player can be better than yourself or just luckier, you can always lose. Again keep track or your statistics and know your limits. Play in the games that you excel at the most, not just the games that are the highest your bankroll can handle. Look for the soft games and pounce on them.

4: Playing Too High at Newer Games
Remember you may be an awesome limit Hold’Em player and fairly good at no-limit Hold’Em also but it doe not mean you will be just as good with other games; therefore you shouldn’t play at the same stake level. Just like a beginner, start at the low stake games first and work your way up.

5: Extended Tilt
Even good players can find themselves having loss after loss but due to experience they know they can prevent themselves extending it and limit the damage on their bankroll; however this streak of losses can knock a players confidence and make them eager to bounce back. This can result in them player in higher stakes or playing too aggressive and impatiently. The result is a similar route to chancing ones losings on any gambling game. While this sort of tilt is rare, it can last for months at a time, draining a good poker player of his bankroll.

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