Poker is brutal if you’re making dumb mistakes. Believe me, I’ve made plenty. Guess how it feels watching your bankroll vanish? All because of avoidable blunders!
Luckily, most of these mistakes have easy fixes. Below, I’ll introduce you to the most common ones and teach you how to dodge them.
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High Mistakes at Poker Tables
1. Playing Too Many Hands – Fold More, Win More
I used to think poker was all about action. More hands, more chances to win, right? Wrong. I bled chips playing junk hands, hoping to hit some miracle flop.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Weak hands usually stay weak.
- You get into tough spots where you’re guessing.
- Stronger hands crush you, and you won’t even see it coming.
How to Fix It:
- Tighten up. Play strong hands, especially in an early position.
- Use a simple starting hand guide—look up a chart and stick to it.
- Don’t limp with garbage just because you’re bored.
I faced that when I kept calling with suited junk like J♠ 5♠. Sure, sometimes I hit something. But most of the time, I just donated chips. Fold more. You’ll lose less.
2. Ignoring Position – Late Position is King
The position is everything in poker. If you’re always playing out of position, you’re making life harder for yourself.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Acting first means you have no clue what others will do.
- It’s tough to bluff when you’re out of position.
- Good players will exploit you.
How to Fix It:
- Play tighter from an early position. Open only with premium hands.
- Play looser in a late position. You have more info, so you can steal pots.
- If you’re in the small blind, don’t complete just because it’s lesser. Trash is still trash.
I used to enter hands from an early position with marginal hands like K♥ J♠. Big mistake. The late position gives you control—use it.
3. Overvaluing Hands in Multi-Way Pots – high Pair Ain’t Always Good
Ever hit the high pair and felt like a king? Yeah, I did too—until I kept losing stacks thinking my A♠ J♣ was gold in a four-way pot.
Why It’s a Problem:
- The more players in the pot, the stronger the winning hand needs to be.
- The high pair rarely holds up when three or more people are involved.
- Overplaying one pair gets expensive fast.
How to Fix It:
- Play cautiously in multi-way pots. Check more, bet less.
- Don’t go broke with one pair. Even two can be shaky.
- If the board is coordinated (flush or straight draws), slow down.
After getting burned too many times, I learned to control my bets and avoid getting too attached to one pair. Poker is a game of survival, not ego.
4. Bluffing Too Much (or Too Little) – Find the Right Balance
Bluffing is fun, but if you do it wrong, you’ll burn your bankroll fast. I used to bluff way too much, thinking every hand needed some Hollywood-level deception.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Bluff too much, and people catch on.
- Never bluff, and you become predictable.
- Some players just won’t fold—don’t waste chips bluffing into a calling station.
How to Fix It:
- Pick your spots. Bluff when the board makes sense.
- Target the right players—tight players fold more, loose players call everything.
- Avoid bluffing at low stakes. People love to call.
One of my worst bluffs? Shoving all-in on the river with 8♦ 9♦ when the board showed A♣ K♥ 7♠ 4♦ 2♠. The guy snap-called with pocket jacks. Learn from my stupidity.
5. Tilting and Emotional Play – Stay Cool or Lose
Poker is a mental game. Lose control, and you lose money. I’ve made some of my dumbest decisions after a bad beat.
Why It’s a Problem:
- You start playing recklessly.
- You chase losses, making bigger mistakes.
- You become predictable—people prey on tilting players.
How to Fix It:
- Recognize when you’re tilting. If you feel angry, take a break.
- Don’t try to “get back” at someone who sucked out on you.
- Set a stop-loss—if you lose a certain amount, log out.
I’ve rage-called all-ins with Q♠ 6♠ because I wanted revenge. You can guess how that went.
6. Failing to Adapt to Opponents – Adjust or Die
Playing the same way against every player is a losing strategy. I used to follow one approach, and sharp players ate me alive.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Different players require different tactics.
- Some players call too much, some fold too much—you need to adjust.
- Sticking to one playstyle makes you predictable.
How to Fix It:
- Identify player types (tight, loose, aggressive, passive) and adjust.
- Exploit weaknesses—bluff nits, value bet calling stations.
- Take notes. Patterns repeat, and knowledge is power.
Once I started tweaking my play based on my opponents, my win rate shot up. Adaptation is everything.
When studying different player types, I’ve found that practicing with free demo versions at pragmaticplay.gr helps develop better pattern recognition skills. Their poker variants and casino games let you observe different playing styles in a risk-free environment before applying your adjustments in real-money games, giving you valuable experience in adapting to various opponent behaviors.
Final Thought: Play Smarter, Lose Less, Win More
The good poker players don’t just win more—they lose less. Every mistake you cut out saves you money. And money saved is money earned. Learn from my screw-ups, tighten up your game, and start playing smarter. See you at the tables!