The biggest mistakes

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01-28-2010 | 0 comments

I always see the same mistakes whenever I play poker with beginners. Evidently, you can't become a perfectly skilful player in two or three sessions, but what you can do is try to avoid the most common mistakes made by inexperienced players. It's not mandatory to learn poker by "trial and error" and lose a lot of money in the process. Just try not to fall into the usual patterns of a rookie.

Playing too many initial cards: This is something beginners do too often. In general, you should play between 15 and 25 % of the initial hands to avoid non-profitable bets. Of course there is also the chance of winning with bad initial cards (like an 8 4) if you know how to bluff at the right moment, but these are exceptional cases. Normally, you should fold when you have a bad initial hand.

Chasing too many draws: Numerous players do not take probability into account and they bet too much money on draws that are completely useless. They don't understand that they already lost, so they wait to get the card they think will save them, when they still need two cards to complete the draw. In poker, knowing when to fold is very important, you always have to know what you have and the chances of improving your hand. Don't let yourself get carried away by big bets, simply because you think you already paid too much and you can't get away. Not at all! If you think you can't win that particular hand, quit. Save your money!

Overestimating your cards: Lots of players highly overestimate their cards, especially beginners. They think that having high cards means they'll win easily. Most don't know that a card on its own has no value whatsoever, and that it has to be complemented with another initial card or with the community cards. Forget the patterns acquired in other games, if you see a K or a Q, it doesn't mean anything if you can't combine them with other cards in order to have a good hand.

Superstition: Superstition is worthless in poker. You don't have to change your socks after losing a game; you just have to play well. You also don't need to rub a talisman to rid yourself of bad luck. Nonetheless, a small amount of superstition might help psychologically, but don't make it a priority when making a decision. Trust your technical and psychological calculations.

Playing with too much aggression and beyond your abilities: I often see rookies playing too aggressively at a table with eight or more players. They try to play almost every hand, bluff too much and bet too high. They don't realize that at a table with more than five or six players, there's bound to be someone with a good hand, so betting high or bluffing might not be a good idea. If you're sitting at a table with several people, play only your good hands, and take into consideration your position regarding the other players.

Betting too low: Most rookies bet too low. This allows their opponents to see more cards for little money, making their draws profitable. Don't bet low when the pot is considerably full, if you do, you'll be inviting everyone to see your bet and reducing your chances of winning the hand. If, to top it off, your hand is not especially good, you won't convince anyone to throw their cards down and get out of your way.

Betting too high: On the other hand, you shouldn't bet too high. If you always go All In in a No Limit game, you'll be risking your chips too often. If your hand isn't too good and you bet high, everybody will fold and you won't be able to win anything with your bad cards. If you bet too high, you turn a good hand into a junk hand.

Being too transparent: Some rookies' hands are too easy to figure out. They bet the exact value of their cards and the more experienced players can read them like an open book. Try to have variation in your game from the beginning and unveil the least amount of information possible. If you don't, you'll be in the same situation as a friend of mine the first time he set foot in a casino. He sat at a table for half an hour and folded all his hands. When he came across a Full House in the flop, he got so excited he bet out of turn. Obviously, all the other players folded immediately.

Being too passive: Many players don't know that to play Texas Hold'em you need to have a kind of controlled aggression. If you bet and raise bets, you usually have an advantage in poker, since to call your bet; other players need to have a good hand. If you're too passive, you'll lose control of the game, if you ever had it, that is. If the other players are the ones being aggressive, you'll lose your chips in the blink of an eye.

Playing scared: Don't play a limit that is not adequate to your bankroll or your monetary possibilities. If you do, you'll be at a disadvantage, factors not related to poker will influence you and you won't feel as confident as a player backed up by his cash safety net. It's very important that you play low limits at the beginning of your poker career. Only when you start making money consistently within your limit should you consider switching to a higher limit. Having to think about how to play your hand will be enough stress without adding to the process the fear of losing money. If you do so, you'll play badly. Very badly.

Not respecting the position at the table: In Hold'em, position is everything. This concept is not too clear for most inexperienced players. The further you are from the dealer clockwise, the better your position is. In poker, it's better to be second in turn. This way, you can observe what the player before you does and decide your strategy from there on. Many rookies don't know that the bet on their hand depends on their position. The better your position, the better you can develop your game.

Playing with too much excitement: There are many proud players who do not listen to their rational side, and poker is a game that punishes the player that bases his decisions at the table on emotions. Don't think you're going to teach anyone a lesson or have your way with some other player. Rookies sometimes let themselves get carried away by pride, which is completely out of place and does not allow them to use their heads in critical moments of the game. If you are not dealt the right cards, you can't play. It doesn't matter if you want to get back at someone. Poker is a game of patience and perseverance, two virtues unknown to proud and angry players.