 Any of the following sound familiar? If they do, it’s nothing to be concerned about; at least from now on you won’t be making the same mistakes. After playing thousands of hands, it is common for players to let things slide a little. Just make sure you don’t let these common errors jump back into your game in the future. Keep on top of them, and every hand you play will be as profitable as possible.
Remember that poker is a numbers game, and the bigger the edge you can squeeze out of each hand, the bigger your bankroll will be at the end of the day. So try and play each hand with the intention of playing it perfectly… it will really make a difference.
1) Starting with a sub-standard hand
In poker, you have to start out as you mean to go on. If you enter a pot with a bad hand, you should expect to see bad results. Always have a reason to play a hand, and never with the hope of just ‘getting lucky’. Always use good starting hand selection.
2) Over or under betting the pot
The great thing about online poker is that you have the pot value displayed clearly in front of you whilst you play… so use it. Even if you know when to bet, check, raise and re-raise perfectly, you will be making a losing play if you betting the incorrect amount at every opportunity. So make sure you know how to size your bets.
3) Giving your opponent odds to play on
If you have the best hand, don’t be afraid to bet out strongly. Don’t try and sucker your opponent in with a small bet, because at the end of the day your opponent will be suckering you in if they call. Make big bets when necessary, and stop giving opponents the right odds to call and take the pot away from you.
4) Not considering position
Hands can be won solely on position alone… it really has that much of an influence on a hand. So always take into account your position at the table, and be ready to fold accordingly. Remember, you should play more hands when you are one of the last to act, and less when you are one of the first. The later your position the better.
5) Not taking into account your opponent’s table image
If your opponent has a tight table image, you should reconsider calling their raise out of position with your KQ offsuit. It will only spell trouble. When playing against tight players, you must be aware that they may well have a very strong hand when they raise, so be sure to evaluate whether or not it is worth you entering a pot with them.
6) Not taking into account your own table image
That’s right; your opponents are not the only players with a table image you know. Make sure you are aware of how other players perceive your playing style in each particular session, and use it to your advantage. If you are playing loose, they may well start to call you more frequently with a wider range of hands.
7) Playing without odds
If you do not have pot odds, you may have implied odds to call. If you do not have implied odds either, you should not be making the call. It’s as simple as that. However, many players will continue to believe that they are better than the odds, and will make calls based on their ‘gut feeling’. I’m sorry to say it, but if you’re a ‘gut feeling’ player, you are a losing player. So play the odds, and make the calls when the odds are in your favour.
8) Just this once…
We’ve all been there. You’re at the table and things are going pretty slow. You’re out of position with 57 offsuit and decide to make a raise… just this once to see what will happen. Low and behold, you end up in a sticky situation and end up losing a few chips when it all could have been easily avoided. Remember that poker isn’t all action all of the time, so prepare to sit tight during those dry spells.
9) Not paying attention
Pay attention! Poker is a game of incomplete information; you’re not going to complete that information by browsing the web or watching TV in between hands. Make sure you pay full attention to the way your opponents are playing whenever you are out of a hand if you really want to try and maximize your winnings. Chances are you will pick up on something incredibly useful.
10) Going on tilt
Everyone’s favourite way to dump their chips… tilt. There is nothing in the world of poker that can help you lose as many chips as quickly as tilt can. So the next time you feel that rage coming over you, get up and run away from the table (or your computer) and get over those bad beats. You will thank yourself when you return to the table to find your bankroll still intact.
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