Poker Mistakes
Nov 3, 2008 1:39 am
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Ok I see so many people posting Blogs about being on a bad run of cards , Getting unlucky , never winning, and my favorite That site is rigged. But we can not forget that our play dictates our outcome and we all make mistakes in poker , learning from and avoiding these mistakes will help us to avoid the natural variance of the game.
The most common mistakes for most people come in the BB and SB (the hardest position to play in Holdem)
Way to often you will see people raising from the SB in situations were a call would be a better play. Often times it happens when the table fold around to the SB and he thinks he is putting pressure on the BB by raising. But if you truly think about it (with exception of obvious Monster starting hands) the only thing you accomplish is build a big pot(making it harder for the BB to let go of a hand on the flop) out of position and you really don't get any info from the raise unless the BB comes over the top of you.
An even bigger mistake people make in the SB is to fold when the table limps into the pot. Besides the obvious reason that the odds you are getting laid to make the call are enough to make it profitable to call ATC
there is also the added fact that you are already half way in the pot. If you factor in the Implied odds if you hit a monster this is truly a low risk high reward play.
Just as Importantly people forget to Defend there BB allot!!!! Let me clarify what is meant by defend Im not saying to call with trash hands (2-7,3-9, K-2.....ect) NO I DONT CARE IF THEY ARE SUITED =P we all know trash when we see it. Im simply saying that you should expand your range of calling hands from the BB if you know or suspect a late position planing on stealing your blinds. By doing this it will discourage them in the future from taking your blinds since they know its not gonna be a easy fight. Also most often (as long as you are playing a solid range of cards NOT RAGS) you are gettting correct odds to see a flop especially if it is a multi way pot.
The list of simple mistakes that will effect our stack size for later play can be quit longer than many of us think.
Some times its stuff as simple as not betting your hand for value on the river, Or allowing a player to take a free card in bad situation, some times we price short stacks into the pot in later stages of a tournament.Or fail to recognize when they are priced in and still raise trying to push them out.
I would like to end this blog with a comment I made on someones blog the other day. I think it is something that everyone should consider no matter if you are a seasoned pro or a new player getting a feel for the game.
"There is no denying that online poker is a pain at times. Just the structure alone of most online tournaments makes the games more geared toward luck, this does not mean that luck is the only factor but there does reach a point in most online tournaments were over half the field is short stacked compared to the blinds and antes. Meaning that for the most part it becomes shove or fold territory."
"I think after you cool down a little bit even (even if you did take bad beats) its best to go back over the key hands that have gotten you so upset. Im not saying you made mistakes but chances are for most of the people writing these blogs there were mistakes made at some point in the hand or tournament. "
"Sometimes the mistake isn't even in the hand that busts you but the ones that lead up to it. For example (again not sure if this applies to you) Allot of people Play to tight in tournaments waiting for aces -queens to play a pot, and the main problem is by the time they wake up with a hand there stacks are so small relative to the blinds and antes that even a push isn't enough to defend there hand from a big stack looking to move up the ladder and knock people out the tournament. For these Big stacks there is no risk in making a "questionable call". Its pretty much basic tournament theory and game theory."
Good luck to you I hope your run of negative variance changes soon.
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45 comments
The bad beats are not only happening because of bad play, it's obvious..i got AA beat by 7 2, because the moron decides to go all in with it after the flop and he hits 7 2 on the turn, river..
Thanks for sharing...
GL on and off the felt...
what was the situation behind your lose to 7-2?? were you short stacked and with out a doubt going to get a call from ATC??? Was he short stacked?? was he tilted from previous play??? there are many factors involved.
Im not saying bad beats dont happen Im simply saying that people only remember the hand that knocked them out of the tournament Ignoring most of the play that lead up to that.
I welcome that players push with 72 vs my AA 100% of the time very very very +AV
Another great Blog PJ!!! Very insightful and you are spot on about the SB and BB being the hardest positions in Holdem with out a doubt. Me being a cash game player it doesn't apply as much since the blinds and ante never change but in a tournament setting you are correct.
I realy love your ending Paragraphs and feel allot of people forget about tournament theory , at least on the lower lvl tournaments. I knew there was a reason I added you to my subscribers list always seems to be some good info comming from you. Keep up the good work and thanks for the post
TY for the advice, I will work with it.
I can usually make it ITM but have a hard time closing the deal. If ,on the off chance I get to a final table with an above average stack, I can usually take it down. So the late portion of the game is my weak point, say when down to 3 tables or less.
I can't catch good cards or when I do I have an all in for my life in front of me with K Q off and can't make myself make the call. Then I will get down to 5-8 BB and have to shove with J 10 or Q J or suited connectors like 79 suited.
TY, good blog
Peace and GL ... see ya on the felt
good blog, bud!
sometimes i do that stuoid flod the small blind thing when the table has limped. i understand the pot odds/implied odds aspect, so i see your point, but i still do the stupid thing occasionally
thanks for the provocative read!
Good blog, i myself dont agree with everything in it, but there is some good information in there. I would like to add one more common mistake. Players dont pay attention to the table, watch your blinds yes, but watch for that short stack acting after you to make that all in push. If you are not prepared to play for the amount of the ss, then maybe letting the bb go is best. Just my opinion. Good stuff / good blog, thanks.
Sires
What part do you disagree with and what are your views on how you would play.
Im always open to other ways of looking at the game
not to much I can add to the conversation but one play that always makes me laugh at the cash tables is in a multi way pot after a few limpers a player in late position win min raise..
Im laughing now thinking about it really there is no purpose you are not going to get any one to fold and you are not defending your hand. Can anyone explain the logic behind this play to me ??
I'll have to think about it maybe some one else can give some insight for you .
LMAO joker @ this comment not that im ignoring the question just having a hard time justifying a play like this other than to play a bigger multi way pot.
omg to funny and probably the only justification
There is a lady at the local casino that cashes in just about every tournament she plays in there. When she is in the big blind she doesn't even look at her cards until the flop. If you raise her blinds she will simply reraise you by what you raised. The locals have gotten used to this and won't raise her blinds any more because they know whats coming, but new people are shocked when she does that to them and it throws them off of their game and they often fold to her reraise. I don't have the nerve to try that, but it works for her.
Thanks for the blog. Some very interesting points made. The biggest mistake that you mentioned that I seem to make is not always value betting like I should. Good post.
Pnjs
Thanks pokerjoker...nice read....