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Home >> Poker school >> Common mistakes by new poker players
Common mistakes by new poker players
Mistake #1: Playing too many poker hands
When people sit down in a game, they want to play. Often, this means they even will play poker hands like  JSpades 4Diamond. This is a huge mistake. It is among others the ambition of this poker site to help improve your starting hand selection.
Mistake #2: Playing above your bankroll
This is pretty much self-explanatory. Sometimes the gambling and money aspect of poker gets to people too much. They become greedy and play in games they cannot afford or games where the competition is simply too stiff and do not think about their bankroll.
At first, stick to a consistent, low limit. Learn how to play and beat the game before you play in higher-stakes games.
Mistake #3: Becoming too emotional at the poker table
Bad beats will without a doubt happen and you will also encounter losing spells. Furthermore, you are bound to run into annoying opponents. You need to learn to live with it and do not let your emotions sway your judgment at the poker table.
Mistake #4: Not using pot odds
If your poker hand needs improvement, the concept of pot odds can help you determine if you should call to see the next card on the poker table. Few beginning poker players understand pot odds, and they often call too much. This site has an article about pot odds, as well as a pot odds calculator to help you better understand this concept.
Mistake #5: Using a two-color deck
When most people think of cards, they think of two colors, red and black.
Well, I have news for you. Some online internet poker rooms offer you two display options: the traditional two-color deck and a four-color deck. A four-color deck has a unique color for each suit.
While this may seem unusual at first, it will make things much easier on you with time.
Believe me, if you use a two-color deck, there is a good chance that, at some point, you will make a mistake and misread your poker hand. You might think you have a flush or another kind of poker hand when in fact you do not. Using a four-color deck is a simple way to prevent yourself from making stupid mistakes.
Mistake #6: Not following the etiquette of poker players
This is a mistake that offline poker beginners make. When you want to make a raise, you should not say, "I call your bet and raise you $X." Your initial action is considered your final action. So if you say, "I call ..." it means you just want to call. If you want to raise, say "raise" and state the amount you want to raise, if it is a no-limit poker game (the amount of the raise is obvious in fixed-limit games).
Mistake #7: Imitating other poker players
A lot of people learn how to play poker by playing in a similar fashion to other poker players. They may just imitate others at the poker table, or they may try to play like a professional they saw on tv. This is not the correct way to go about playing poker (no matter whether you play online internet poker or offline poker).
Many people who play poker are simply bad at it. Imitating a weak poker player means copying a lot of their super bad habits. In addition, trying to imitate what one saw on tv is also a recipe for disaster. What is shown on television is almost always a poker tournament, and their hands are highly situational. What applied to their decision is most likely not applicable in your case.
It is important to understand how to make decisions at poker. You do not play successful poker through imitation; rather, it is done through understanding the complexities of the incredible game of poker.
Mistake #8: Superstitions
All gambling involves fortune. While fortune tends to even itself out over the long run, people naturally focus on the short run and on their fluctuations.
Because gambling involves randomness, people will often blame or chalk up their fortune to some random event that coincided with how they fared at a certain poker session. This may be as innocent as believing in a pair of lucky boxer shorts. However, some people take their superstitions too far.
You cannot affect the "fortune" factor of gambling. Fortune evens itself out over the long run. The only thing you should concern yourself at the poker table is playing good poker. If you play poker well, you will win over the long run. If you do not play poker well, you will lose. It's as simple as that.
Mistake #9: Overvaluing suited poker hands
Having a suited poker hand is a plus. However, you should not play a poker hand just because it is suited. The first two things to consider about a starting hand are the ranks of the cards and, not to mention, whether the cards are paired. These are by far the most important factors in the value of a poker hand. After this, you should consider if they are suited or connected.
A hand like AClubs KDiamonds is much, much more valuable than a hand like 10Hearts 3Hearts. ASpades KDiamond is a top starting hand, whereas 10Hearts 3Hearts should be thrown in the muck.
This may sound obvious, but many beginning poker player make the mistake of calling to see the flop with any two suited cards. The probability of flopping a flush or a flush draw with two suited cards is just under 12%. This is fairly low; you definately have other reasons to play a starting poker hand besides them being suited.
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