Nobody likes to lose at poker, but most people usually do. If you are one of them, then there is a good chance you are not doing a good job of avoiding pitfalls. Do not worry: you are not the only one. There are some common mistakes that many players make. Even advanced players occasionally do stupid things. If you are sometimes unsure about what to do, then you need to at least learn what NOT to do. Sometimes you can become a better player simply by learning what not to do rather than what you should do.
For starters, you should NOT select poor hands. If you are playing a lot of hands and hardly ever win, then you are obviously selecting them poorly. Do not try to hold on to a hand that is most likely not going to change or improve. If everything seems to be against you, then it probably is. Never hold out in hopes that something unexpected might happen in your favor--it will not. Even if you find yourself folding over and over again, so what? At least you are not losing very much money.
Another thing you need to remember is to not put a lot of hope in small pairs. While it is always good to have a pair, low ones rarely win in poker games; unless, of course, you are playing Omaha low or Omaha 8 or less. In any other poker game, though, low pairs hardly ever amount to anything good. You can still try to play them, but only do so passively.
You should also NOT worry so much about your own cards that you forget about other players, and vice versa. Try spending an equal amount of time thinking about your cards and watching them. If you are playing online poker, do not turn away from the screen when it is not your turn. Watch carefully what moves the other players make. Your opponents are standing between your cards and the pot, so you should obviously take note of everything that they do, while keeping an eye on your own hand at the same time.
Do NOT bluff or try to outwit the other players. While this can work sometimes, it is something that only experienced players should do. If you have been doing this and losing, then STOP! Do not waste your time trying to fool other players. This is especially so if you are playing online, since it will be harder for them to pick up on your technique, which obviously means they will not be falling for it.
Similarly, you should not let your emotions get in your way. If you are playing face to face against other people, they will be able to read your reactions. If you are playing online, allowing your emotions to get the best of you is not good because it will cause you to make stupid decisions. In addition, other players might be able to tell by the way you are typing or acting in the chat room.
These are all stupid mistakes that many poker players make--both online and offline. You probably make some yourself, or else you would not be reading these tips. Hopefully, they will help you learn how to play better so that you can finally start winning!
Now that you know some of the most common poker mistakes made by players, learn what you should do at first during a poker games.
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