Poker for beginners: common mistakes
To ignore the position
Hand position is one of the most important aspects in any hold'em game. The later you act in your hands, the more information you will get when you act and make a decision.
If you are in the last positions, you can act knowing what your opponents have done and react to their actions, being able to more reliably imagine what game they are playing. For this reason, being on the button (or dealer) is the best position you can have.
You can play a lot more hands from the last positions than from the first positions, which you have to play with a lot more care.
Be too aggressive
It is true that in poker it is very important to be aggressive, but it is even more important to know how to choose the right time for it.
For this reason, if you think your opponent has a good hand, don't try to throw him out of the pot with big bets. In the long run, these actions will make you spend a lot of money.
It should be remembered that at a table with eight or more players (the most common number is nine) it is normal for at least one of them to have a relatively strong hand.
Trying to take their hand with big lifts is almost never a good idea, as usually no one is going to fold (throw their cards) if they think they have the best hand.
Show letters too much
For both online players and those who play casino poker, it is important not to show the rest of the players the cards in their hands.
Acting and playing taking into account only the cards you have will hurt you to other more experienced players as they can read your game as if you were an open book, both by betting and by gestures (when playing live).
Try not to show your opponent what kind of hand you have (something is easy to say, but very difficult to do). Especially when you play live, try not to make unnecessary gestures and do not react to what is happening at the table, you have already got a couple of aces, you can perform a color project or even if you get a 7-2.
Obviously these reactions are negatively impacted as they show opponents what you have (physical reactions online are not visible while live any gesture is visible) but it is amazing to see live tournaments and tables as many novice players just Can't help but react to cards appearing.
If you want to play live, it is very important to learn to control your emotions, so you should practice to avoid any "statements" to the opponent (show what you have).
Don't bet with the right size
In the game of no limit hold'em, most novice players make mistakes in the amount of bets, placing in their bets too large or very small number of chips.
For example: it doesn't seem to make sense to bet $ 1 on the $ 25 jackpot. If you have a decent hand, you won't be able to raise the pot, and if you throw a lantern, it's very difficult for you to succeed with such a small bet.
The basic rule to know how much to bet is to do in relation to the Bank. As a tip on how to play poker for beginners, we can say that a bet between half the pot and its total value is usually a good option.
Play too many hands
This is one of the most common mistakes beginners make, as almost all of them make it. The winning players usually play 10% to 30% of their hands.
A novice player should even play below this percentage. Many hands that may seem good (such as King-Ten) are long-term losing hands.
If you're a beginner, just throw these types of cards before the flop to avoid trouble.
Ignore the number of players at the table
A fundamental factor in hold'em games is the knowledge that the value of a hand decreases with the number of players at the table or who can act.
If you have only two opponents, a hand like As-Eight can be very good, and if you are one of the first to act, and you are at a table of nine players (a large number of them still have to act), this hand is almost not valid. It has value because someone has reasonable opportunities to have a better hand than you.
To ignore the position
Hand position is one of the most important aspects in any hold'em game. The later you act in your hands, the more information you will get when you act and make a decision.
If you are in the last positions, you can act knowing what your opponents have done and react to their actions, being able to more reliably imagine what game they are playing. For this reason, being on the button (or dealer) is the best position you can have.
You can play a lot more hands from the last positions than from the first positions, which you have to play with a lot more care.
Be too aggressive
It is true that in poker it is very important to be aggressive, but it is even more important to know how to choose the right time for it.
For this reason, if you think your opponent has a good hand, don't try to throw him out of the pot with big bets. In the long run, these actions will make you spend a lot of money.
It should be remembered that at a table with eight or more players (the most common number is nine) it is normal for at least one of them to have a relatively strong hand.
Trying to take their hand with big lifts is almost never a good idea, as usually no one is going to fold (throw their cards) if they think they have the best hand.
Show letters too much
For both online players and those who play casino poker, it is important not to show the rest of the players the cards in their hands.
Acting and playing taking into account only the cards you have will hurt you to other more experienced players as they can read your game as if you were an open book, both by betting and by gestures (when playing live).
Try not to show your opponent what kind of hand you have (something is easy to say, but very difficult to do). Especially when you play live, try not to make unnecessary gestures and do not react to what is happening at the table, you have already got a couple of aces, you can perform a color project or even if you get a 7-2.
Obviously these reactions are negatively impacted as they show opponents what you have (physical reactions online are not visible while live any gesture is visible) but it is amazing to see live tournaments and tables as many novice players just Can't help but react to cards appearing.
If you want to play live, it is very important to learn to control your emotions, so you should practice to avoid any "statements" to the opponent (show what you have).
Don't bet with the right size
In the game of no limit hold'em, most novice players make mistakes in the amount of bets, placing in their bets too large or very small number of chips.
For example: it doesn't seem to make sense to bet $ 1 on the $ 25 jackpot. If you have a decent hand, you won't be able to raise the pot, and if you throw a lantern, it's very difficult for you to succeed with such a small bet.
The basic rule to know how much to bet is to do in relation to the Bank. As a tip on how to play poker for beginners, we can say that a bet between half the pot and its total value is usually a good option.
Play too many hands
This is one of the most common mistakes beginners make, as almost all of them make it. The winning players usually play 10% to 30% of their hands.
A novice player should even play below this percentage. Many hands that may seem good (such as King-Ten) are long-term losing hands.
If you're a beginner, just throw these types of cards before the flop to avoid trouble.
Ignore the number of players at the table
A fundamental factor in hold'em games is the knowledge that the value of a hand decreases with the number of players at the table or who can act.
If you have only two opponents, a hand like As-Eight can be very good, and if you are one of the first to act, and you are at a table of nine players (a large number of them still have to act), this hand is almost not valid. It has value because someone has reasonable opportunities to have a better hand than you.