With all of the good players in poker today, you’ve absolutely got to be on your best game to be a profitable player. And making countless mental mistakes is a good way not to be on your best game. There are literally thousands of mental errors you can make during a game, but these 3 are the top mistakes you need to avoid.
Stopping a session early because you’re ahead
While most players already know not to keep playing during a losing session just to break even (many people still do it anyways), some players will quit sessions just because they’re ahead. Now this can be a great confidence booster to know that you’ve played a solid, winning session. However, quitting when you’re beating the game will leave you short on profits time and time again. If anything, you want to make even more time for a winning session by putting things off while the going is good.
Picking the wrong games
Being a profitable poker player isn’t always about making the best plays or being one of the top players at your online poker room – it’s about being better than those at your table! That’s why picking the wrong games can be such a killer in terms of profit. When choosing an online poker table, make sure to look at the flop-viewed percentage so that you can get a good idea as to how many limpers are in the room.
Making a call just to see an opponent’s hand
You can usually make a fairly good gut decision as to whether an opponent has you beat or not. However, there is always that inclination to try and see if an opponent is possibly bluffing even when you know you’re beat. Resisting this temptation is a must though if you’ve already put your opponent on a range and have decided that they’ve got you beat.
Seven Card Stud certainly isn’t as popular as it was a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean nobody is playing it. In fact, there are still plenty of Seven Card Stud tournaments out there including some major WSOP events. Seeing as how Stud isn’t totally irrelevant, let’s take a look at some tips for how to get started with this game.
Big pots are what defines a No-Limit Texas Hold’em player’s success. Sure there are lots of little small wins along the way that can boost your bankroll, but it’s the big pots that will make or break your bankroll. That’s why you need to know how to both build big pots and play them in Hold’em. Here is a look at how to accomplish this so you can properly play big pots and earn lots of money while doing so.
Poker strategists discuss table position all of the time. Early, middle, and late positions have been thoroughly dissected from every angle so most people know how to bluff from these spots. But one area of the table you don’t see discussed much is the blinds – especially the big blind. That’s why many people aren’t sure on how to bluff from this position. With that in mind, let’s take a look at bluffing from the big blind.
While you can divide poker playing strategy into numerous divisions, everything boils down to this: tight versus loose. Tight players like to sit back, wait for the nuts to come, and suck unsuspecting opponents into their trap. Loose players, on the other hand, prefer to be more aggressive by betting and raising as frequently as possible. With the two styles of play obviously differing from each other, people have long debated about which philosophy is the best. So let’s attempt to solve this debate right now.
Season 6 of NBC’s hit show Poker After Dark had quite a beginning as the announcers hit the tables in what was entitled “Commentators III”. High Stakes Poker hosts Gabe Kaplan and Kara Scott (who was just recently named a host), Joe Sebok, Mark Gregorich, and of course Poker After Dark host Ali Nejad all took a seat in the Season 6 opener.
When most players have pocket jacks in late position, they’re willing to at least make a call. And why not since pocket jacks is one of the best hands you can have before the flop is turned over. But there are times when this decision doesn’t turn out to be the best one as a raise, and re-raise hit the table.
When you’re holding a big pocket pair, drawing is a little easier since you know the payoff will be big assuming your hand hits. Even if the board doesn’t give you a set, you’re still in pretty good shape with a high pair. However, holding a middle pocket pair is a different story since you are left with little if your card doesn’t land on the board.
