Poker Mistakes to Avoid While Playing
Poker requires a great deal of good strategy and a steady approach. Acquiring the required skill set in poker prompts a player to have a winning mentality, and a good understanding of the different strategies to implement and utilise them to maximize opportunities. Avoid the common poker mistakes to win and master the game. Consider this: despite having a winning formula and putting forth your best efforts on the table, you are still not able to leave with more chips than you started with. If you are a novice, chances are that you are still adjusting to your poker gameplay and how to approach the game in steady mind space. Here are some of the common poker mistakes which should be avoided. Avoiding these can help immensely while playing online poker.
Poker Mistakes to Avoid
The top 7 mistakes to avoid in a poker game are:
- Playing games with unaffordable stakes
- Calling every hand
- Playing out of position
- Raising/ Going All-in without any value cards
- Bluffing too often
- Playing multiple tables simultaneously
- External Distraction
1. Playing games with unaffordable stakes
Several online poker platforms and websites provide you with a wide range of table selections ranging from high and low stakes. A common error is that players enter a high-stakes table to maximize their risk-reward management. High stake tables increase your chances of winning but also account for losing money very quickly. Avoid entering high-stake tables if you are new to the game. Play at the lowest blind table first, to try out your skills and understand all the poker hand strengths, before you up your game.
2. Calling every hand
Also referred to as Limping in poker terminology, it is a quite common poker strategy used by many players, especially during the early stages of their poker career. Limping refers to entering the pot for the price of the big blind without raising. It is impossible to potentially obtain winning cards all the time in poker. To avoid limping, players should avoid playing too many hands and calling every time. If the basics are followed where players often raise when they have suitable hands and limp with the weaker ones, other players at the table will be able to easily read your moves.
3. Playing out of position
In the pre-flop or before the first three cards are opened on the table, one of the hardest factors to maintain is the position. Plenty of novice players tend to have no understanding of their position in the game, which is a recipe for disaster at the start. Reasons for this include undervaluing the importance of the current position, the sheer need to be involved in every game and the over-focus on your own hand strengths. For example, you have two Kings or two aces in your hand and you start betting higher even without the first three cards opening and seeing what is exactly on the table. Basically, you have over-judged your hand strength. On average, you will be able to obtain more winning hands when you can play in position rather than out of it as you will tend to lose less money. A clear solution to this is to adopt a pre-flop strategy and play bigger pots in position and smaller pots out of position.
4. Raising/ Going All-in without any value cards
Many novice players tend to call raises far too often and as a result, lose money quicker. One of the most common examples of raising without value is during the preflop. It is a good practice to understand that if an opponent raises, your normal reaction should be to fold.
5. Bluffing too often
Bluffing is a part and parcel of all poker games. However, newcomers tend to think that bluffing makes them exceptionally good players and that it adds some excitement to their games. If you are not an experienced player, you must avoid bluffing all the time. Bluffing must be avoided if you are going up against more than one active opponent or if you know that your opponent is a good player. Bluffing too often also has a reverse effect, making it more predictable for other players on your moves.
Also Check:
6. Playing multiple tables simultaneously
Simply put, an increase in the number of tables you play in will decrease the quality of your game plan. Playing simultaneously at various tables will only lead to more confusion, and if you have any negative attributes in your game- multiply them onto other tables as well. In poker, it is always more suited to stick to quality over quantity.
7. External Distraction
One of the biggest ways to squander your money is through constant distractions while occupied in playing online poker. As other players are involved, if you are not able to play within the given timeframe, your turn is automatically nullified, and you would have to fold your cards. By avoiding external distractions such as instant chats, phone calls, TV noises etc, you will be able to focus on the game at hand. Winning at poker doesn’t always mean that you have the best hand. It requires a lot more than just understanding the rules. Along with your strategic gameplay and the moves you make, it is also important to understand the factors to avoid while playing online poker.
Also Read: Poker Cards and Poker Hands Probability
