Top Mistakes That Could Be Costing You Money in Online Poker

Is it the case that you have been losing money in online poker lately, even after thinking that you’re playing well? Well, not to worry, as you're not alone. Many players fall into this category, not because of being unlucky, but due to some mistakes that can easily be avoided while playing.

Online poker is an exciting game that involves constant strategies and offers real chances to win money if you play well consistently. But without the right mindset and tactics, you will end up being on the losing side rather than winning. So, how to avoid this? We will list the most frequent mistakes online poker players make and how you can avoid them and become a winning poker player.

Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate player, these points will help you overcome the mistakes that you might have made while playing online poker in the past.

Let's look at what the common mistakes are and what needs to be done to avoid them:

• Playing too many hands: If you get involved in too many hands, then you just cannot avoid trouble. Making an assumption that any starting hand is a good hand will make your stack bleed, and you will never be able to get on the winning side. Choose a few good starting hands and stick to them.

• Ignoring table position: Position plays a vital role in Poker. When you are in a late position, like a cut-off or dealer position, then you have a good chance of having an edge on your opponents and dominating the pots when it really matters.

• Poor bankroll management: Bankroll management in online poker is of utmost importance for your success in the long run. If you are playing with more money than you can afford, then you are doing nothing but jeopardizing your chances of staying alive in poker. Play with only what you can afford to lose and stay put once you have lost that amount.

Also Read: The Importance of Bankroll Management in Online Poker Cash Games

• Not watching opponents: Reading your opponents' game by making notes, and color-coding the opponents, will help you get hold of your rival's game. You can also make use of the stats software and other data that is available to learn your opponent's moves on the table and strategize your game accordingly.

• Bluffing too much or too little: Once, a famous poker legend, Mike Matusow, said, “No Bluff No Poker.” Yes, that is correct, bluffing is a really important part of poker, but if you overdo or underdo it, then you are committing a grave mistake. Bluff only when the pots are small and you are in a good position to steal them.

• Playing on tilt: If playing poker significantly affects your mental state, then it is time to either stop playing or overcome this emotional hurdle. There will be days when you will run badly or have a tough poker session, and you have to avoid this situation and not tilt. It is better to take a break for a while and resume when you are refreshed, and you have forgotten about that session.

• Overvaluing good hands: It is true that in order to win in the long run, a player should stick to only good hands. But this does not mean that these hands will not get beaten every now and then. If you have Aces or Kings but the flop has some cards like 7, 8, 9, or a paired-up board like 99 JJ, then someone can easily have you beaten, and you could very well be drawing dead. So learn to give up these strong hands in such situations.

• Multitabling too early: If you have started playing online recently, then even though multi-tabling is a good thing to do, if you are not used to it, you may lose focus and start making incorrect decisions while playing. One table at a time should be the initial strategy, or even multi-tabling at very low stakes, so that you get used to it and then master the process later.

• Playing in the wrong games: Most Online Poker platforms offer a variety of poker variants that a player can play, like Texas no-limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Stud, Razz, and so on. But one thing is for sure, that even though there are many different forms of poker, it is rare to master all of the poker variants. Only play the poker variant of which you have complete knowledge, rather than trying your luck with one variant after the other.

• Not reviewing past mistakes: Poker is a game that everyone can play, but only a few can master. There is no one who is perfect in the game, and all players make mistakes while playing, no matter how good a player you are. But what sets the winning players apart from the losing players is that they review their past mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future. Make sure you keep a close tab on the mistakes you have made that have cost you money and avoid them.

• Poor bet sizing: Bet sizing is another important aspect of poker, and if you are not making apt use of it, then you can get into trouble even though being ahead in the hand. If you have a really big hand that is extremely rare to lose, and you place a big bet, it might scare all the opponents, and they will fold, and you will not be able to extract any value. Also, if you have a marginal hand and you bet too small, thus inviting everyone in the pot, someone can get lucky, and you may lose because of underbetting your hand.

• Failing to adapt to opponents: Your style of playing online poker has to adapt to the playing style of different players. In live Poker, you may have only a few opponents to deal with, with whom you play regularly. But in online poker, the case is completely different. You can be up against so many random players every day, and you really need to learn to adapt your game accordingly to survive and thrive.

• Misreading the board: This is another common and naive mistake players make. Players sometimes misread their hand or the board, and this can result in financial loss. Players commonly make this error when using a 2-color deck while playing. A heart can be mistaken for a diamond card, and a spade can be mistaken for a club card. So take your time and be completely sure of what the cards are on the board or in your hand, and most importantly, make use of the 4-color deck, as most online power sites offer them.

Final Thoughts
Now that we have listed all the common mistakes that players can make while playing, it's time to learn from them and avoid making these mistakes if you really want to make some money by playing poker. Poker is a game of skill, and whatever decisions you make while playing the game will impact your bankroll. So be patient, play the right hands, and avoid tilting if losing. Even if you stick to the basics, you can play poker for a long period of time and find some success at the game.
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