It’s easy to spot beginner mistakes — they play too aggressively, they play not aggressively enough, they don’t understand betting — but intermediate players can often be just successful enough to nor realize what they’re doing wrong. Let’s take a look at three common mistakes that even decent poker players make and how you can avoid them.
Mistake 01: They Play In Too Many Games
There’s an old saw that is so true that it’s a cliché that everyone can agree one: “jack of all trades, master of none.” Unless you’re among the very best poker players out there, don’t constantly switch between game types. Too many intermediate poker players constantly jump between No-Limit Hold’em ring games, Limit Hold’em ring games, tournaments, Omaha Hi-Lo, etc.
You should focus on excelling at a single game before you start playing different types of games, even if you’re getting bored. It’s a good idea to understand how different games work, but you should do that in order to figure out what game you perform the best at.
Mistake 02: Folding Too Easily In Limit Hold ‘Em Postflop Situations
A lot of intermediate players do great before the flop. Unfortunately, their postflop play can be a complete stinker, especially in lower-limit games. No, they don’t play too much; they fold too easily. It’s frequent for players to overcorrect their play and constantly fold postflop unless they have a very strong draw or a very strong hand. They think they are playing smart tight-aggressive play. In reality, they neglect to remember the odds they are getting.
For example, suppose you hold Ks 8s and you’re playing from the big blind. Someone raises in middle position, 4 players call, and you call. The flop is Kc Th 2h. The small blind bets out. What do you do? You don’t fold! Your kicker could be better, but the odds for the money are really great.
Mistake 03: Being Predictable
Even at lower stakes, you’re going to be at the table with some event players and you want to make sure that you don’t give them fodder. Mix up your playing styles a bit to throw them off so they’re not able to predict your betting patterns. If you find that you can’t do it yourself, switch tables! You’ll be against fresh opponents that might kick-start you into playing differently.