The 5 Dumbest Things I Ever Did Playing Poker
Posted on | Oktober 18, 2009 | No Comments
As with anything new in someone’s life – whether it’s a new job, or a new recipe or even a new game, you have to learn about it before you can say you understand it. Same thing goes for poker.
I really enjoy the game, but there was a time when, well, I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing. Boy, did I mess up. And, with some embarrassment, you can find out the 5 stupidest things I’ve ever done at the poker table. I hope these mistakes are something you can avoid.
Dumbest Move #1 – I once played at a five card stud table with only $50 in my pocket. This wouldn’t have been a problem except for the fact that I’d sat down at a table with $10/$20 limits. I couldn’t even make my first bet. I was so new I didn’t know that different tables had different limits.
I had enough to ante-up and that was about it. The thing was: I had a great hand, with three kings and an ace. The kind of hand that, with sufficient cash, I could have won by strategically raising. But I learned my lesson and always check the table limits before I sit down now.
Dumbest Move #2 – Do you know what the ‘muck’ option is at online poker sites. Yes? Well, I didn’t and spent ages showing everyone else my losing hands. Consequently, they knew when I bluffed and when I was playing straight. Unsurprisingly, I got killed on every hand from then on. Lesson? Use the muck option and don’t show the other players your hand.
If you let your poker buddies know exactly what type of player you are, you are basically just saying to them ‘here, have my money, I don’t want it’. Not a mistake to make either online or in the real world.
Dumbest Move #3 – Playing every hand. The point of poker is to win and that means not playing every hand just because you can. This is a mistake a lot of new – and even some experienced – poker players make. Bide your time until you get a good hand. It’s really that simple.
There is absolutely no reason to play every hand! Yes the thrill in poker is playing, understood, but if you lose your money fast your playing time is over. So fold if your hand is not worth playing. There will be another hand to play, so play smart and don’t get caught up in the excitement of the atmosphere and the draw of the cards. Be smart and you may walk away from the game with more cash then when you sat down!
Dumbest Move #4 – Staying in a hand because you’ve already put money in the pot. Many players feel that just because they’ve bet on one round, they should stay in the hand, whether or not they have a strong hand. Bluff, by all means, but don’t stay in a hand ‘just because’. That will end up with your losing your money.
An example : if you have, say, a pair of fours and nothing else is coming up, then it might be time to fold your hand and cut your losses. Especially if someone else keeps raising. If it looks like you are not going to win, get out as soon as possible. Save your bankroll for the next hand, because that is one you might be able to win.
Dumbest Move #5 – Know the Game! I can’t say this enough, the worst goof up I ever did was when I joined in am Omaha Hi/Low tournament. Now I had never played the game before, so I read up on how to play before the tournament started and thought, ok, I understand the basics of the game and the rest I will learn as I play.
So, I sat down at the table and started playing Omaha Hi/Lo for the first time. It didn’t go well. Only half an hour in, I knew that I was out of my depth. I was winning when I thought I’d lose and losing when I thought I’d win. However, I struggled through to the intermission. At this point, I took the time to reread the rules of the game.
That’s when I found out how you are really supposed to play Omaha Hi/Lo. I discovered I was even folding great hands, like 1,3,5,6,7. I suspect I would have won a lot of money, but I didn’t really understand the game. So I got pretty much what I deserved. I’ll neve again act like I know it all and play a cash game I’ve never actually played before.
So, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed reading about my five dumbest mistakes a lot more than I enjoyed making them. Hopefully, you won’t fall into the same traps and will prosper as poker players far quicker than I ever did.
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