Avoid these common online poker mistakes

Poker is a game of patience and strategy, it stimulates the mind and requires definite skill. However, it’s important to remember that typically it involves playing for money – money that the majority of players would rather not lose. So, whether you play sporadically for fun or you’re a regular at the table, it’s important to avoid making these common mistakes – which can cost you money.

Too many hands

If you’re an impatient person, then you should probably address this before you start your poker career. Playing too many hands is a key indication of impatience and is not the road to travel if you’re aiming to win.

Playing too many hands reduces your bankroll much more quickly and it’s also much tougher to play this way, often resulting in players refusing to fold.

Playing too many hands leads people to chase draws which will essentially result in losing a lot of money. If you’re dealt suited cards, you don’t need to play them and you stand to lose a lot of money if you’re insistent on doing so, which brings us nicely onto our next point…

Imperfect bankroll management

If you’re used to playing higher stakes, no player wants to go back down but sometimes it’s necessary. This statement from US pro Scott Seiver proves that:

“I just took shots when games looked good. Bankroll management is very important and I’ve taken shots and had to move wildly down in stakes several times.”

Bankroll management advice is there for a reason and it’s been put together over the years by players who have made the mistakes and don’t want other players to do the same.

Reducing your stakes says nothing about your skill, it’s just making those inevitable strings of beats more affordable, leaving you able to play for longer – find out more about how to correct your imperfect bankroll management in this useful guide.

Maths!

There weren’t many kids who enjoyed maths lessons at school but in poker, a basic knowledge is essential for success.

If you don’t want to lose money then you should carefully evaluate each and every poker move before you play. Treat a play as a mathematical calculation and make sure you have the answer before you play – not doing so is a huge leak!

Boredom

Your attitude is just as important as your skill in any game of poker, but particularly when you’re playing online. If you’re stressed or tired or playing just because you have nothing better to do, then don’t, that’s a sure-fire way to waste a full day’s pay.

If you’re playing when stressed or tired then you’re probably not putting your all into the game. Remember, emotions and poker should never meet, so if you’re chasing bad beats, don’t play poker.

Patterns

Even online, poker is all about patterns and tells. A good poker player realises they can always improve their game which means they pick up on others’ mistakes. If you’re missing these patterns, you’re not learning how to avoid the same mistakes which means eventually you’ll fall victim to them too.

In online poker, the tells can usually be found in the way your opponents bet. Take notes on the time it takes them to bet, how much they bet and whether they’re using the “bet/raise” and “check/fold” options.

Avoiding these common mistakes and learning from those that you do make is sure to strengthen your online game, so start making notes and carefully looking after your bankroll.