Mistake No. 1: Getting Distracted.
Poker is a skill game, but it requires
concentration and attention to detail.
When you are distracted, you take your
abilities out of the picture and then
you have to rely on luck.
I know many poker players who play as
many as 5 games online at the same
time. While experienced online poker
players may be able to handle this,
you should focus on one game at a time.
Also, remember that the distractions
that surround you at your home can
ruin your concentration when you are
playing poker.
TV's, radios, and phones all divide
your attention and take your mind off
the game at hand.
While distractions are likely the
most costly mistakes that players make,
they are easy to eliminate...
When you are playing poker, make sure
that you turn off the TV, grab a Coke,
and turn off your phone. This way you
won't be jumping up and down when you
should be concentrating on your game.
Mistake No. 2: Using The Auto-Play Functions.
The auto-play buttons are made to
speed up the game. If you use the
auto-play buttons, realize that you
are using them at the cost of your
chips.
Since online poker players are
separated by hundreds of miles, one
of the only "tells" in an online poker
game is the amount of time that a player
takes before acting on his or her hand.
The "Commonly Accepted Formula" is this:
A delayed check = Weakness
Instantaneous call = Strength
Instantaneous check = Weakness
Quick bet/raise on turn or river = Strength
The reason that this formula is so
widely accepted by poker players is
that it holds surprisingly true. The
first tell is simply an understanding
of poker psychology, but the last three
are based on the auto-play buttons.
Think about it: if you have a weak hand
and you click the automatic check button,
you are telling every one at the table
that you have a weak hand.
However, if you take a moment, people must
ask themselves "Are they slow playing it?
Will I be check-raised? How has he played
in the past?"
Mistake No. 3: Talking Too Much.
Some players think that since they are
online, that talking doesn't serve as a
tell. However, except for using auto-play
buttons, talking serves as the biggest
tell in online poker.
Don't waste your energy taunting or
talking to other players. This will give
players a look into your personality and
therefore your true playing style.
Talking too much also leads into the next
online poker mistake...
Mistake No. 4: Making Enemies.
Making enemies in poker is never a good
idea. If you win a pot, graciously drag the
chips to your pile, but don't say a word.
If you lose a pot to a lucky draw, take it
on the chin and don't whine.
The reason that you don't want to make
enemies is simple... the enemies you make
playing poker will be "gunning" for you.
It is never good to have players who want
you out of a game, because they will be more
likely to make a move against you.
This takes the power out of your hands
because the other players aren't playing FOR
chips, they are playing AGAINST you.
So, keep to yourself, and let the chips do
the talking...
Mistake No. 5: Showing cards.
Showing your cards is rarely a good idea.
Some players claim that it puts other players
on tilt and shakes them out of their game.
However, instead of hurting the other players,
showing your cards usually hurts you and
forces you out of your game.
Remember, that you always want people to
respect your bluffs. So think about this:
You win a huge pot on a stone-cold bluff.
Good for you. You turn over your 7-2 offsuit
to shake up the other players. Now the other
players know your style of bluffing and your
betting method.
A few hours later, you make another move for
a pot by pushing most of your stack into the
pot. Now the players think back and remember
your past bluffs.
This time, they don't fall for it, call, and
you lose your stack.
Finally, players who turn up their cards often
are seen as cocky or rude. This leads to poker
enemies... and we know what that means.
Mistake No. 6: Relying Too Much On Odds.
Many online poker players have downloaded
"odds calculators" that give precise readouts
of the probability of any certain combination
of cards.
These calculators are terrific tools to give
you an idea about the strength of your hand,
but be very wary of putting too much emphasis
on the odds.
Remember that poker is a game of strategy and
numbers, not just a game of numbers. You must
take many factors into consideration when
playing poker, not just the odds that you will
win the hand.
Mistake No. 7: Playing For Too Much.
Never play poker with more than you can afford
to lose. If you have $30 to spare, don't sit
down in a $5-10 limit room.
Anytime that you sit down at a table, be sure
that you can afford to lose the money that you
take with you, and that you have enough money
to play competitively.
If you sit at a table and only bring 3-5X the
big blind, you will find yourself being bullied
and quickly lose your stack.
Also, if you play at a table where you cannot
afford to lose all the money, you will play too
conservatively, and you will quickly go broke.
