With the rising popularity of poker spreading across the globe, thousands of new players begin learning how to play poker every day. As a new student to the game of poker you are probably full of excitement, energy, passion and a craving for everything poker.
These mistakes apply to any type of poker game (Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, etc.). These mistakes aren’t game specific.
No. 1: The top mistake seen in most beginning poker players is playing too many hands. This is a very common mistake that most new players get caught up in. When you first begin playing poker, it’s easy to want to play every hand you get dealt. Many beginning players get easily bored when folding hands, so they play the majority of their starting hands. You should be fairly selective when it comes to choosing which starting hands you are playing. If you are playing more than 25 percent of the hands you are dealt, depending on the game, you are generally playing too many starting hands. Playing this many starting hands can always lead to trouble and a quick draining of your poker bankroll.
No. 2: The second most common mistake made by beginners is playing above their bankroll. It’s not rare to see newer poker players who might have a bankroll of $400 to their name, step into a $1/$2 NL game with their entire stake in front of them. When you first begin playing, only play at limits you can afford to play. Newer players will often lose track of their financial situations in the excitement of learning to play poker. If you are a beginning player and you step into a game with all of your money, you might have a very short poker career. It’s extremely wise to only play at limits you can afford without risking your entire bankroll at once.
No. 3: The final mistake is not leaving emotion at home. Leaving emotion at the door is an extremely important poker lesson that some players learn the hard way. If you’ve had a huge fight with your wife and just got a speeding ticket for going 18 over, you probably don’t belong at a poker table. If you come to a poker game without leaving your emotions at the door, your game will suffer and you’ll end up losing lots of money. You must learn to not mix your negative emotions with your poker game and play.
By learning to avoid these common problems, you will start your poker career on a much better foot than the majority of newer players who will often bite on these mistakes.