The 15 Most Common Poker Mistakes – 2024 Update

Mastering the complex game of poker requires more than just knowing the rules — it's about recognising and avoiding the most common poker mistakes made by both beginners and seasoned players. By steering clear of the 15 mistakes outlined in this article, you can sharpen your strategy and increase your winning potential.

#1. Not Understanding Your Hand

One of the fundamental common poker mistakes you can make is not understanding your hand. You have to recognise the strength of your hand to be able to play the game. This involves more than just knowing the card rankings; it's also about understanding your hand in relation to the community cards, the potential hands of other players, and basic strategies.

Without this understanding, you will inevitably make poor decisions. Before you begin playing, it is worth checking out our guide on how to play poker, practising demo versions online, or watching other poker players to grasp how the value of a hand can change depending on the situation of the game.

#2. Not Adjusting Your Strategy

While there are many different poker strategies out there, it is usual for players to find their comfort zone and stick to a specific approach. Consistently using the same strategy can make your gameplay predictable; other players will recognise this and use it to their advantage. So, if you want to be successful in poker, you’ll need to adjust your strategy according to each game and opponents.

#3. Playing Too Many Hands

One of the most common beginner mistakes in poker is playing too many hands. Often, people will play with any two-suited cards, sequential cards, or even any hand that has an ace. However, consistently doing this means you’re likely to lose your chips quickly, reducing your chances of long-term success. Playing fewer poker hands puts you in a better position than your opponents. Say you play 20% of hands while others play 40%; you’re more likely to win. Your hands will typically be stronger, so you’ll win more often with better pairs, straights, and flushes.

Players need to choose their hands carefully and develop their sense of when to participate and when to step back. Poker is a game of patience, and being selective is crucial; you can save your chips and focus on your strong hands. Fewer, stronger hands are better than frequent and less cautious ones.

#4. Playing Too Few Hands

Playing too many hands can be risky, but being overly cautious and playing too few hands can be just as problematic. If you limit yourself too much, you can miss out on potentially rewarding opportunities. Like bluffing, you don’t want to make your gameplay predictable to players who will exploit it to their advantage. Opponents will recognise that you only play strong hands and adjust their betting to counter your tight strategy, which nullifies your favourable position. Once again, the trick is to have the right balance when playing hands based on the situation of the game so that your strategy can’t be guessed.

#5. Ignoring Your Position

Another frequent error is underestimating the importance of your position, as it can have a significant influence on your chances of success. Your position is where you are seated in relation to the dealer: playing hands from later positions can have a considerable advantage, as you can act last after the flop. Later positions allow you to observe how previous players act during their betting rounds so that you can make more informed decisions. As such, it’s easier to know when to bet, raise, or fold, and it also offers further control over the size of the pot because you can adjust your bets.

On the other hand, playing several hands from early or middle positions means you have less information about other players, so it’s better to have a more conservative approach. You should typically only play strong hands because you need to rely on your cards rather than on discerning the actions of opponents. If you understand your position, you can make strategic decisions on which hands to play. It’s wise to play more hands in a later position and fewer if you’re among the first to play. Typically, a later position is more favourable.

#6. Ignoring Your Position

Bluffing is an integral skill in poker. Without it, you’ll only be able to win by holding the best hand at showdown. By including bluffing in your gameplay, you increase the ways that you can win pots, and your strategy becomes unpredictable to other players. Opponents are kept in the dark if you occasionally bluff, as they won’t know when you have a strong or weak hand.

It’s a kind of psychological guessing game, putting pressure on others. This tactic might seem scary to rookie poker players, especially when placing a big wager with a weak hand, but it is better than the alternative. If you don’t bluff, you’ll likely end up having to show a weak hand and lose the pot.

#7. Bluffing Too Much

On the flip side, bluffing too much can negatively impact your gameplay. Over-bluffing can also lead to predictability; other players will recognise your tactics and call out your bluffs, which will cause you issues. Firstly, it will cost you chips, and you can quickly lose your stash from unsuccessfully bluffing. Secondly, it can have a negative impact on your table image, affecting your credibility in the eyes of other players.

If you often find that your bluffs are being called on, it might be a sign that you’re bluffing too much. Players need to find the right balance in bluffing while also understanding their opponents. You should increase your bluffing against cautious players who often back down under pressure and reduce bluffing against aggressive opponents who are likely to call your bluff.

#8. Missing Any Value Bets

A value bet is made when you’re confident that your hand is stronger than the others’. Players will bet an amount that their opponent will be willing to call. The goal is to get them to be overconfident and call with a worse hand while increasing the size of the pot.

Basically, you’re attempting to increase your potential to win while being in a strong position. It is highly situational, so you do have to consider this according to the kind of game and players involved. A frequent error for beginners is missing out on these value bets. If you never make bets when you have a strong hand, you’re just leaving money on the table. Getting the hang of value betting is a crucial skill needed to build the pot and be successful.

#9. Ignoring Pot Odds

Pot odds represent the ratio between the size of the pot and the call that you’re considering. By ignoring pot odds, players can miss out on opportunities where calling a bet could be advantageous. Taking this into account is also important in deciding whether the potential return justifies the risk of the call. This should be considered in relation to the strength of your hand. When your hand’s likelihood of winning exceeds the pot odds, it is better to call or raise.

Calculating the pot odds might seem complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. All you have to do is divide the amount that you have to call by the total pot after your call would be added. For example, if the pot is $200 and you need to call a $40 bet, you would add $40 to the existing pot, making it $240. Then, you divide your $40 bet by the $240 total pot, so the pot odds would be 1:6.

The more you apply this calculation to your games, the more like second nature it will become, and you’ll have a mathematical understating of the game to improve your decisions.

#10. Playing Too Many Hands During Preflop

Like the previous point on playing too many hands, it is a common pitfall to play too many hands during the preflop. This is the first stage of betting, where players have limited information to make decisions. Overplaying at this stage will just put you in a challenging and weak position after the flop. This can often result in significant losses that could have easily been prevented by simply returning your cards to the dealer early on.

#11. Playing Too Loosely

What this means is frequently playing hands regardless of the strength of the cards, your position, and your opponents. It is an aggressive style of betting that involves players calling bets, raising, and continuing gameplay with weak hands.

While playing loose can be a tactical move by experienced players to be unpredictable, consistently doing this will have the opposite effect, as your gameplay will become predictable once more. Loose players often participate in many pots and take bigger risks with weaker cards. This can lead to big rewards if the game goes their way, but it also has the potential to cause significant losses.

#12. Going on Tilt

Going on tilt is when players allow emotions to cloud their judgment, and rationality no longer guides their decisions. You might be frustrated and irritated, leading to aggressive gameplay, playing too many hands, or chasing losses. This might be caused by a losing streak, arguments with other players, or simply the game not going the way that you want. Generally, being emotional can lead to poor decision-making, so it's important to be calm and level-headed during their gameplay.

If you feel overwhelmed, there are a few techniques to help you manage your emotions. Firstly, and if possible, take a moment by stepping away from the table for a clear and refreshed mindset. If this isn’t possible, it’s worth developing methods to control your emotions, like meditative techniques, deep breathing, and visualising, in order to stay calm during games. You can also set limits to avoid overspending. Generally, try to keep a positive attitude and remember that poker is a game that comes with highs and lows.

#13. Not Managing Your Bankroll Correctly

Poker bankroll management is an exceptionally important part of poker, ensuring you don’t keep playing beyond your means. Recognise that poker is an unpredictable game and luck is involved, so your bankroll has to be able to handle that.

Before you start playing, set aside a specific amount of money or a limit for yourself, which is the amount that you’re prepared to lose over a period of time. A simple way to see it is not to gamble what you can’t afford to lose. Not managing your bankroll correctly can lead to financial problems, so this is a serious issue to be avoided by betting within your means.

#14. Bad Betting Sizes

Bet sizing involves deciding how much to bet in a certain situation. You need to consider various factors like the pot size, hand strength, and their opponents when choosing their bets. It is an essential part of betting strategy since making bad choices for bet sizes can affect your performance and profitability. For tight opponents, you should make smaller bets, while bets should be larger against loose opponents. A good bet size would be 50-75% of the pot, allowing you to build the pot while ensuring those with weaker hands stay in the game.

Remember that you need to find the right balance. Consistency in betting sizes means that opponents won’t guess the strength of your hand, but switching up your betting sizes makes your gameplay unpredictable. Effective bet sizing is key to maximising value from strong hands, successfully bluffing with weaker hands, and controlling the size of the pot. Generally, your bet size should aim to challenge your opponents to call or fold while ensuring it doesn’t jeopardise your own bankroll.

#15. Not Paying Enough Attention

Poker requires full attention, as your decisions are based on reading other players and their moves; you can’t just rely on your cards to win. When you join a poker game, you should be solely engaged in it. If not, you’re likely to miss crucial information, and there isn’t really a point in playing.

Online players, in particular, can easily get distracted by their environment or phone. But even in person, beginners can find it difficult to focus on their own hands while assessing the behaviour and patterns of other players. This is a skill that is developed over time as you play more.

That said, more experienced players can become complacent in their abilities and be less focused, while beginners will fully concentrate as they’re less familiar with the game. Whether you’re new or a seasoned player, paying attention is essential for success.

BONUS: Beware of the Fancy Play Syndrome

Fancy Play Syndrome (FPS) occurs when players use complex or showy tactics instead of straightforward strategy because they’re overconfident or want to impress their opponents with their expertise. Frequently opting for difficult plays can lead to predictability, which other players may start to notice and take advantage of. It is also challenging to execute these tactics, and players are more likely to make mistakes in poker. It’s better to be simpler than to overcomplicate, which is more effective across different games and opponents.

Common Poker Mistakes — Our Verdict

Remember that every poker player makes mistakes regardless of their skill level; just ensure that you see it as a learning curve. It's important to practise, and by keeping these common mistakes in mind, you can improve your gameplay and chances of success.

Common Poker Mistakes Sources

1. The 100 Biggest Mistakes that Poker Players Make — A 2022 book by Alexander Fitzgerald, who has taught thousands of people how to play poker over the years.
2. No Limit Hold ‘Em — A 2006 book by N.R. Villarreal, who has made a living out of playing No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em all across the world.