The biggest mistake made by online and offline poker players is to bet or call on every hand.
Poker is a very exciting game and it’s easy for a player to get caught up in the action. That’s what professional players who make their living playing poker are counting on. They want you to bet or call on every hand so you’ll loose your money.
You don’t have to bet on every hand in poker, and there’s nothing wrong with folding when you have lousy cards. If your hand looks weak, fold, especially if other players aren’t folding. The sooner you learn this the sooner you will start making money at poker. Successful poker players aren’t afraid to fold.
If you don’t get a good hand you don’t have to bet or call. Remember a new hand will be dealt soon or a new game starting soon. There’s no reason to bet or call on every hand.
Don’t stay in the game just because you might get dealt a good card next time around. The odds are against it, if you start with a weak hand in poker, you’ll stay weak.
Bluffing a lot doesn’t make you a good poker player; it makes you a person who looses their money quickly. The other players will soon catch onto your bluffing and start calling your bluffs. You’ll be caught with a weak hand and they’ll have the pot.
Instead of betting or calling, just sit back and watch the action. Use your folded hand as an opportunity to observe the other players in action. See what they’re doing and try to spot their weaknesses.
The great poker players got that way because they sat back and watched the game. They became great observers of human nature and students of human behavior. You can do the same thing by folding when you have a good hand and watching how the other players behave.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bluff at all or take any risks. Only take the risks when you think you’ve got a chance of pulling them off. Especially if you think you’ve figured out how other players play.
Remember, if you have a reputation as a player who never bluffs, you’ll have a much better chance of pulling off the occasional bluff. The other players won’t expect it and might fold especially if you don’t get too aggressive in your betting.
One final suggestion: learn to trust your gut when you’re playing. If you get a strong hunch that somebody’s bluffing or that somebody isn’t bluffing, play on it.