You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to play online poker. Poker is all about luck and how you use that luck. Everybody is bound to lose every now and again, but a professional player will consider his odds, cut his losses and come back later. So if you are new to playing poker, don’t worry if you make too many mistakes, it’s inevitable, just learn from your mistakes and come back stronger the next time and the next. That’s what makes a great poker player!
Below we have compiled a list of the 5 most common mistakes that a beginner poker player might make.
Pacing yourself
Nobody can run the before they learn to walk! The same goes for when you first start to play poker. Recognise your skill level and don’t bet more than you can afford to in comparison to your skill level, you are still learning! Give it some time and your game will progress. The more you play and the more you practice, the more you will get a feel for the game and the better you will become in the long run.
As the old saying goes, practice makes a man perfect and the same holds true in this case as well where you have to take the mantle and start focusing on the sessions that would help you in achieving perfection for the big game that is up and coming where you can play Judi Online in place of poker because it is the first step towards success.
Not letting emotions take over
Have you noticed how the professional poker players always have a way of making the game look so easy? The key is to keep your cool when you think that your luck has turned sour. This is an indispensable ability to learn and it can without a doubt turn your game around in your favour. Beginner poker players often do not control their emotions appropriately and this is a gateway for the more advanced players to come in and clean you out! Yet, when at a table, moods turn quickly and small things can start to annoy other players. Great hands can get lost. The player next to you will try everything to put you off your game by trying to divert your attention or wind you up. If you respond you become sidetracked and you’ll lose your focus. Once you’ve lost your concentration, well then, its bye, bye to a possible win! If, for whatever reason, you recognise that you are losing focus, the best thing to do is to either finish playing the hand(if it’s a really good one) or cut your losses and come back later with a clear mind.
Trying to bluff too often
Many, if not, all new poker players frequently make this mistake. More experienced players can nearly always pick up on a player that bluffs to quickly or too frequently. It’s all about reading the next player and the professionals have this method down to a T! They pick up on your patterns and wait for the right moment to pounce in and steal all of your money. What you need to do is to play tightly and only bluff once in every 12-20 hands and only play the strong hands. This will then trick your opposition into believing that you are always going to be playing a very strong hand and increase your chances of bluffing your opponent correctly the next time.
Choosing the wrong opponents and considering an opponent’s hand
It is in your best interest to choose tables closer to your level of skill. Select games with a lower limit, as these tend to be the most occupied by amateurs/beginner players. The higher the limits are, the more experienced the players will generally be and therefore, the tougher the game! Poker is a game of relative strength.
You should always consider your opponent’s playing technique, as well as try to read his/her hand. Be careful of players that raise extremely fast! They could be bluffing or they could have a very strong hand and want to get the pot up quickly!
If you are a beginner, understand that nobody is a born poker professional. The professionals that you see on TV have had many years of experience and all started out the same way as you have. Everybody makes mistakes, but it is whether or not you learn from these mistakes that will only make you stronger. For example, if a professional bluffed badly, he/she would rectify the problem. If they let their emotions take control of their game, they wouldn’t be known as professionals .They have developed these skills over time. So remember, Rome was not built in a day, so neither will you become an expert player over night. Always identify the mistakes you have made and take some time to analyse and correct them.
Knowing the basic poker betting strategies will prevent you from being targeted by more advanced poker players. One wrongfully placed bet can set you up to losing a lot of your chips. All of your much earned endeavors can very easily be eradicated by one single incorrect move. There are a total of five betting actions, yet only a maximum of 3 can be used during any one hand. These are your five betting choices:
Betting terms
BET –
To put money into the pot in accordance with the rules of the game.
CALL –
To put into the pot, the minimum amount of money necessary to continue playing.
CHECK –
To bet zero when it is permissible to do so.
RAISE –
To wager more than the minimum requirement to call, forcing other players to put in more money as well.
FOLD –
To decline to call a bet, consequently dropping out of a hand.
Knowing which betting methods to bring into play is essential to winning more hands. It’s just about more important than your hand combination! Without a betting strategy a good hand is worthless.
When is the right time to bet?
You want to bet when you have a good hand combination, but one thing you want to avoid is over betting and alarming your opponents. You can use betting as a way of getting rid of indecisive players. This is why poker can sometimes be seen as complicated.
When should you call?
When you have a moderately good hand which may go on to win the pot. Or if you have a good hand and you have decided to take a chance on it.
When would you raise?
If you have a great hand combination, wanting to bluff off other players or, my favorite, wanting to win a hefty pot!
Why would you fold?
When you have a bad hand combination, you don’t feel like take your chances with your current hand or, another player has raised the pot too high for your current chip stack.
When would you check?
If you not willing to bet and your hand is playable. If you are wanting players to think that you have a bad hand (this can work to your advantage and may well result in you to stealing the pot in the end!), or if you are wanting to check raise
Don’t Be Predictable
Try playing as indiscriminately as you can and mix it up a bit! The worst thing is to have players picking up on your particular playing tactics and this could happen one of two ways. One; playing the same style every hand you’re dealt or, two; playing too many hands. Furthermore do not spend a great deal of time at one specific table.
Ask yourself some questions
Professional poker players are constantly asking themselves questions and analyzing the table and their opponents. A strong player is a smart poker player! Try asking yourself questions like; what the stronger hand combination of my rival player is? Also, try seeing if you can pick up on a player’s specific betting style. Next, target this player when you have a potential winning hand. Always analyze your game because you can be sure the other players at the table will also be analyzing you! Try to mislead your opponents as much as possible.
I was once told that poker is not in fact just any card game, it’s a psychological card game, relentlessly trying to outsmart you rival players with mental tactics.
