There are several mistakes that beginners make at the green felt, and some of them do not get eliminated even after years of playing. Some of these mistakes can be attributed to the lack of knowledge, while others are caused by a complete misunderstanding of the so-called basics. This article will briefly analyze some of the most common Texas Holdem poker mistakes beginners make, and it will also provide some guidance on how to avoid them.
The most common leak beginners exhibit is over playing their hands, which is a direct result of their desire to win pots. However, this leak is usually inextricably linked with another problem – under valuing starting hands. While it is perfectly fine to play and raise with top pair or even middle pair, one must always realize that he is far from having the best hand. This mistake causes many beginners to stubbornly pursue their draws in situations when they should already have quit their hands, and it also makes them quite susceptible to bluffs.
Position is the most important thing in poker. It’s a bit of a cliche, but it’s true. The vast majority of your profit will come from playing in position.
Even better than playing in position is isolating players out of position and taking advantage of them. There are two ways to isolate an opponent:
If you are in middle or late position, raise with a strong hand and then call any re-raises with a weaker hand. This will keep players out of the pot behind you who might want to take a flop with you if they were going to just call. If you plan on calling anyway, it’s often better to raise in order to keep those players out rather than give them good odds to see the flop with you.
If you are on the button or in late position, raise with a wide range of hands (even as weak as 7 5 offsuit) so that opponents behind you have a harder time putting you on a hand and can’t predict what you will do next. If they fold easily when facing raises, this is especially profitable for you.
