Top 10 Mistakes in Online Poker
Chapter 11
Mistake 1. Playing When You’re Exhausted
It seems like it’s just so hard for online players to actually go to bed and stop playing. Some people only know it’s time to stop because they lost all of their money. When you begin to get tired or its past your normal bed time you should stop for the sake of your bankroll. Playing when you’re exhausted is only good for one thing, losing all your money. When you fail to use proper poker strategy it’s time to pack it in.
Mistake 2. Playing Too Many Tables and Folding the Nuts
Wow, it’s amazing how many so called 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 your other tables. It can be so distracting that you could fold the nuts at the other tables because you weren’t even paying attention. It happens all the time against me and it sure is amazing. About 99% of the time they don’t even know what they did because they were too busy worrying about another table.
Mistake 3: Going on Tilt Times 5
Ah, the dangers of online poker. The dreaded tilt factor is magnified by 10. First if you go on tilt you should just have a beating pillow or something you can beat the crap out of instead of going on tilt at the table. Multitablers can lose 5 times as much because typically they have 5 tables open.
One bad beat can rock the ship and all their money goes down the tube on all 5 tables. Not only that but it happens really quick online versus live play. At least in live poker it takes some time for the cards to be dealt. Do yourself a favor and only play 1 table if you’re susceptible to going on tilt easily.<
Mistake 4: Playing Too High Stakes
Everyone likes to test their skills at bigger stakes. Why wouldn’t they it’s how you better your game. It’s when the stakes are so high that they can wipe out your bankroll and your rent money in one swoop that your play will suffer.
When 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 makes you lose it even quicker. Stick to the stakes where you can reload a couple times and be perfectly fine about winning or losing that amount.
Mistake 5: Playing Way Too Many Hands
Well this mistake happens in live poker too but happens a little more common in live poker. Usually it’s because the player is tired or just bored but they begin to play every hand they are dealt. Watch how the pros play online poker. They rarely play hands and are very cautious about which ones they choose to play. A bankroll that continually dwindles every 30 minutes is probably caused by playing too many marginal hands. If you’re a slow loser then this is probably your diagnosis.
Mistake 6: Work and Play Don’t Mix
Hey, 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 fast but isn’t the best thing if you’re trying to make some money.
Nagging customers, bosses interrupting, and oh yeah the occasional damn phone call always seems to interrupt during a huge hand. I’ve lost many a dollars trying to play at work. It just doesn’t work because too many things can distract you at the perfect time.
Mistake 7: Not Able to Handle Losses – “I got to get it back”
The late night frantic plea to try and get your money back is probably the worst feeling in poker. If you “Need to get it back” then you shouldn’t have been playing in the first place. Needing the money will only cause you to lose even more and make really bad plays.
Have you ever noticed that players who really don’t care about the money tend to win all the time? Players who need to win usually end up on the sidelines wondering what the hell went wrong.
Mistake 8: Too Tight During Heads Up
Watching players lose all their money to blinds is a sad thing. It’s very common to see this in Sit n Go’s where the player thinks that just because they made it to the final 3 by sitting around that they’ll win the darn thing by sitting some more. Loosen up the play, switch gears, and you’ll throw your opponent for a loop and they won’t know what hit them. Giving your money away to large blinds will only dwindle your stack and leave you with little or no glimmer of hope to actually win the tournament.
Mistake 9: Excessive Bluffing
Oh boy players love to bluff online. I don’t know if it’s the automation of the whole money/chip process or they watch too much poker on TV but players are excessive bluffers online. My whole theory is that players see the pros on TV playing other pros and think that’s how they should play. What they don’t understand is that it’s pros versus pros not pros versus newbie’s. Not too many pros bluff new players because new players are hard to bluff. Half the time they don’t know what beats what anyway. Bluff too much online and you’re bound to get burned.
Mistake 10: Playing While Intoxicated
Time to sit back have a six pack in your underwear and win some money right? Well you got the first part right but the whole trying to win money while you’re drunk part, not so right. Alcohol and poker don’t seem to mix too well. At least 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’ll tend to go through money like those beers you’re drinking. If you can’t stop drinking you might want to set an automatic limit on the amount of money you can deposit per day. This should keep you from losing too much if you still want to drink and play poker.
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