Even Poker pros need practice, and no matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. You never stop learning when you play Poker, and if you’re a Texas Hold’em fan you need to keep reading.
These simple mistakes are best avoided, and if you can steer clear of them you’ll increase your wins dramatically.
Acting Too Fast
This problem plagues Texas Hold’em players of all levels, and it can be avoided if you just take a few more seconds to think things through. Often players switch to autopilot mode and act instinctively, without thought. This can be fatal, and you need to stop, regroup and really consider all your options before you make your move. Only once you’ve taken in to account all available information, from sizing, positioning, your opponent’s action and everything in between should you make your play.
Playing Too Many Hands Pre-flop
If the cards are not coming your way or you’ve had a bad run of hole cards, avoid the trap of playing too many hands pre-flop. Rather stay on track, remain disciplined and stick to the proper starting hand ranges, otherwise you’ll be giving lots of your chips away, fast. If you play a large number of weak hands pre-flop you’ll end up in sticky post-flop situations that lead to on going losses.
Sticking to the Same Strategy
If you’ve enjoyed your first flush of success you may well be tempted to stick to the same tried and tested strategy. While this in theory sounds good, you’ll never expand your knowledge and really improve as a player if you don’t try out other strategies and other card games such as online blackjack for example.
The danger of sticking to the same strategy becomes evident when you start falling behind and stop winning. With Poker you need to keep on learning all the time, and a strategy that pays off now may not pay off later, as players are changing all the time.
Over Playing Medium Strength Hands
Your hand value is relative to what your opposition is holding, and in Texas Hold’em it can be dangerous to assume that your medium strength hand is really good. By definition there are some hands that are generally weaker, such as second pairs, top pairs with weak kickers and small flushes in the face of a big raise, so you need to avoid thinking these are good hands and recognise them for what they are; easy to beat. Don’t overvalue mediocre hands, and don’t assume that opponents are sitting with weaker hands simply because yours is average.
Relying On Your Stats
Stats are just that, numbers. And if you are relying on averages, using tracking software or HUD’s you need to remember that there are other factors involved in playing. Too many Texas Hold’em players get sucked into stats and forget everything else, so while stats are good, they are only a part of playing Poker. Stats don’t always show the whole picture either, and this is something players need to recognise and work into their game, rather than simply following the numbers blindly.