Let’s be honest. You can’t get good at something until you truly understand it and have practiced it. This is particularly true of games like poker.
I’m a fanatical poker player, but I learnt the hard way and made some silly mistakes along the way. So, relax, take a deep breath and enjoy the five dumbest things I ever did playing poker. With luck, it will help you to avoid the same mistakes.
Dumbest Move #1 – I sat down at a poker table at the casino and had my $50 ready to play, and half way through the first hand I was broke, busted couldn’t even make the bet! Why? Because, stupid me, I didn’t realize that poker tables have different table limits, and I happened to sit at a 5 card stud game that was $10/$20 limits!
I had enough to ante-up and that was about it. The thing was: I had a great hand, with three kings and an ace. The kind of hand that, with sufficient cash, I could have won by strategically raising. But I learned my lesson and always check the table limits before I sit down now.
Dumbest Move #2 – When I started playing poker online, I never used the ‘muck’ option. This is what obscures your losing hand so the other players can’t see what cards you had and figure out how you play. I think that not using the muck option has probably cost me thousands of dollars. You have been warned.
Giving away your playing style is pretty much the singlest stupidest thing you can do in poker. Giving your opponents that advantage means you are effectively just handing them the money. Not clever.
Dumbest Move #3 – Playing every hand. The point of poker is to win and that means not playing every hand just because you can. This is a mistake a lot of new – and even some experienced – poker players make. Bide your time until you get a good hand. It’s really that simple.
Put simply – I know that poker is a fun, exciting game and you want to be involved in the action. But, believe me, by playing every hand – regardless of whether it’s a good one – it will be over a lot, lot sooner. Try not to get swept up by the atmosphere and play smart. You could even end up winning.
Dumbest Move #4 – Staying in the game, just because you can. You’d be surprised at just how many poker players stay in a hand because they have already put money in the pot. Needless to say, this is a bad idea. I did it when I first started playing under the belief that there’s always a chance to win. The thing is – there isn’t. Some hands you’ve got to pull out of.
An example : if you have, say, a pair of fours and nothing else is coming up, then it might be time to fold your hand and cut your losses. Especially if someone else keeps raising. If it looks like you are not going to win, get out as soon as possible. Save your bankroll for the next hand, because that is one you might be able to win.
Dumbest Move #5 – Know the game you are playing. Learn the rules thoroughly before even thinking of taking part. My very worst mess up was playing in a Omaha Hi/Low tournament. Unfortunately, I’d never played the game before. I did read up on the rules and figured that I’d got the basics and would learn the rest as I played.
So off I went, Mr. know it all, and sat at the table and started playing the game. Well about a half hour into the game I kept losing when I thought I should of won, and I won when I thought I should have lost. I had no idea what was going on and lucky for me I was having enough luck that day to get me to intermission when I took the time to go and reread the rules of the game.
At that point, I saw how you really play the game. I found that I was folding great hands and wasn’t even aware of it. I might have won so much money that day. But I didn’t really understand the rules. Never will I act the know-it-all and play a game for real money that I had never played before. What was I thinking?
So, those were my five dumbest mistakes. I’m sure you’ll agree that they were pretty dumb so hopefully if you are new to playing poker, you won’t make the same errors. Make sure you know the game, the rules and the table limits and you won’t go too far wrong.
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