Common Poker Mistakes

Common Online Poker Mistakes

(by Rory Monahan)

Take these strategies seriously and you could quickly and consistently win more pots from online poker games.

There are seven major (yet easily correctable) mistakes that both novice and experienced players make when playing online poker.

Learn to prevent these mistakes, and you'll have a competitive advantage over others :-

Mistake No. 1: Getting Distracted.

Poker is a skill game, but it requires concentration and attention to detail.

When you are distracted, you take your abilities out of the picture and then you have to rely on luck. I know many poker players who play as many as 5 games online at the same time. While experienced online poker players may be able to handle this, you should focus on one game at a time. Also, remember that the distractions that surround you at your home can ruin your concentration when you are playing poker. TV's, radios, and phones all divide your attention and take your mind off the game at hand. While distractions are likely the most costly mistakes that players make, they are easy to eliminate...

When you are playing poker, make sure that you turn off the TV, grab a soft drink, and turn off your phone. This way you won't be jumping up and down when you should be concentrating on your game.

Mistake No. 2: Using The Auto-Play Functions.

The auto-play buttons are made to speed up the game. If you use the auto-play buttons, realize that you are using them at the cost of your chips. Since online poker players are separated by hundreds of miles, one of the only tells in an online poker game is the amount of time that a player takes before acting on his or her hand.

The Commonly Accepted Formula is this:

A delayed check = Weakness
Instantaneous call = Strength
Instantaneous check = Weakness
Quick bet/raise on turn or river = Strength

The reason that this formula is so widely accepted by poker players is that it holds surprisingly true. The first tell is simply an understanding of poker psychology, but the last three are based on the auto-play buttons.

Think about it: if you have a weak hand and you click the automatic check button, you are telling every one at the table that you have a weak hand. However, if you take a moment, people must ask themselves "Are they slow playing it? Will I be check-raised? How has he played in the past?"

Mistake No. 3: Talking Too Much.

Some players think that since they are online, that talking doesn't serve as a tell. However, except for using auto-play buttons, talking serves as the biggest tell in online poker. Don't waste your energy taunting or talking to other players. This will give players a look into your personality and therefore your true playing style. Talking too much also leads into the next online poker mistake.

Mistake No. 4: Making Enemies.

Making enemies in poker is never a good idea. If you win a pot, graciously drag the chips to your pile, but don't say a word.

If you lose a pot to a lucky draw, take it on the chin and don't whine. The reason that you don't want to make enemies is simple... the enemies you make playing poker will be "gunning" for you.

It is never good to have players who want you out of a game, because they will be more likely to make a move against you.

This takes the power out of your hands because the other players aren't playing FOR chips, they are playing AGAINST you.

So, keep to yourself, and let the chips do the talking...

Mistake No. 5: Showing cards.

Showing your cards is rarely a good idea.

Some players claim that it puts other players on tilt and shakes them out of their game.

However, instead of hurting the other players, showing your cards usually hurts you and forces you out of your game.

Remember, that you always want people to respect your bluffs. So think about this:

You win a huge pot on a stone-cold bluff. Good for you. You turn over your 7-2 offsuit to shake up the other players. Now the other players know your style of bluffing and your betting method.

A few hours later, you make another move for a pot by pushing most of your stack into the pot. Now the players think back and remember your past bluffs.

This time, they don't fall for it, call, and you lose your stack.

Finally, players who turn up their cards often are seen as cocky or rude. This leads to poker enemies... and we know what that means.

Mistake No. 6: Relying Too Much On Odds.

Many online poker players have downloaded "odds calculators" that give precise readouts of the probability of any certain combination of cards.

These calculators are terrific tools to give you an idea about the strength of your hand, but be very wary of putting too much emphasis on the odds.

Remember that poker is a game of strategy and numbers, not just a game of numbers. You must take many factors into consideration when playing poker, not just the odds that you will win the hand.

Mistake No. 7: Playing For Too Much.

Never play poker with more than you can afford to lose. If you have $30 to spare, don't sit down in a $5-10 limit room.

Anytime that you sit down at a table, be sure that you can afford to lose the money that you take with you, and that you have enough money to play competitively.

If you sit at a table and only bring 3-5X the big blind, you will find yourself being bullied and quickly lose your stack.

Also, if you play at a table where you cannot afford to lose all the money, you will play too conservatively, and you will quickly go broke.

Of course, just learning the common pitfalls of poker players will never take you to the next level.

If you want to take the step to increase your poker skills so you will dominate every game you play, there is much more to learn...

If you're really serious about winning tons of cash at the poker tables, you must learn the art of bluffing, betting, reading players, folding, odds calculation, recalling hands, and much more.