Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Online Poker Players

Playing Exhausted

You need to know when it’s time to stop playing and go to bed.  Some people only know it’s time to stop because they’ve lost all their money.  When you begin to get tired, or it’s past your normal bed time, you should stop for the sake of your bankroll.  Playing when you’re exhausted can only lead to one thing; losing all your money!  When you stop using proper poker strategy, it's time to pack it in.

Playing Too Many Tables

It’s amazing how many so called "poker pros" make this mistake and probably don’t even know it.  It’s easy to get caught up in playing 3 or 4 tables at once.  Having a big hand at one table can really distract you from the other ones.  It can be so distracting that you might fold a big hand at another table because you weren’t paying attention.  Most of the time you don’t even know what happened, because you weren't even paying attention.

Going On-Tilt 

If you’re a person who goes on-tilt easily, you should keep a punching bag or something around.  Try pounding on it the next time you get angry after losing a big hand. It’s better than playing stupid and losing all your money. Multi-tablers can lose even more money, because they may have up to 4 tables going.

It only takes one bad hand to put someone on-tilt, and if your not careful, your money can quickly disappear.  Not only that, but it happens quicker online than if you were playing live.  At least in live poker it takes some time for the cards to be dealt.  Do yourself a favor, only play one table if you go on-tilt easily.

Playing High Stakes

Everyone likes to test their skills at higher stake games.  Why wouldn’t you, it’s how you improve your game.  Be careful though, because when the stakes get high enough to wipe out your bankroll, your play will usually suffer.

If the stakes are so high that you’re afraid to put all your money in with the best hand, you shouldn’t be there. Being scared to lose your money just leads you to lose it even quicker.  Stick to the stakes where you can reload a couple times if necessary, and give yourself a chance to rebound.

Playing Way Too Many Hands

This mistake happens with live poker players as well.  It usually happens because a player is tired or bored, and they begin to play every hand their dealt.  You need to be very cautious about which hands you decide to play.  A bankroll that continually dwindles every half hour is probably caused by playing too many marginal hands.

Work and Play Don’t Mix

Everyone who works behind a computer has done it.  Sneaking behind the computer and playing some cards while at work sure makes the time go by fast, but it’s not a good idea if you’re trying to make money. You should only play online poker in your spare time, and be fully committed to each hand you play. 

Not Being Able to Handle Losses

That late night desperation play to try and get your money back is probably the worst feeling in poker.  If you “need to get it back”, you shouldn’t have been playing in the first place.  Needing the money will only cause you to lose it quicker.

Have you ever noticed that players who seem not to care about their money tend to win most of the time?  Players who “need to win”, usually end up on the broke end wondering what went wrong.

Too Tight During Heads Up

It’s very common to see this in sit n go’s where the player thinks because they made it to the final table playing tight they can win it playing tight.  You must loosen up your play and switch gears. You’ll throw your opponents for a loop, and they won’t know what hit them.  Giving your money away to large blinds will only shorten your stack, and leave you with little or no hope to win the tournament.

Excessive Bluffing

Players love to bluff online. It might be the automation of the money process, or they just watch too much poker on TV.  Players see pros playing other pros and think that’s how they should play.  Not too many pros bluff new players, because new players are hard to bluff.  They get married to their hands easily, and call down bets no matter what cards come up.  Bluff too much online, and you’re bound to get caught.

Playing While Intoxicated

Alcohol and poker don’t mix well.  When you’re drunk in live games there’s usually someone there to stop you; like a friend or your empty wallet.  When you’re playing online it can be very hazardous to your bank account, because you can go through money like those beers you’re drinking.  If you can’t stop drinking, you might want to set a limit on the amount of money you can deposit per day. This should keep you from losing your shirt if you still want to drink and play poker.