Most Common Poker Mistakes

What makes a bad poker player is making the same mistakes over and over again, instead of learning from them. And good poker players exploit the predictability of your game.

Poker pro and celebrity, Phil Gordon, shows us the most common poker mistakes amateur player makes and how good players like him would play around these mistakes:

A player doesn't bluff enough. When these players bet or raise, I usually give them credit for a good hand. When they check, I will usually bet to try and take the pot.

A player overvalues top pair. The "average" winning hand in Hold 'em is two pair. Yet many players are willing to take tremendous risks with top pair. When I have a hand that can beat a player who overvalues his top pair, I will over-bet the pot and put them into a position to make a big mistake. I go out of my way to play small pocket pairs against these players because I know that if I flop a set, I'm likely to get paid off in a huge way.

A player under-bets the pot. It is incredibly important, especially in No Limit Hold 'em, to make bets large enough to punish opponents for their draws. When a player under-bets the pot and I have a draw, I take advantage of their mistake by just calling the small bet. When I think I have him beat, I'll make a raise.

A player calls too much. I will very rarely bluff against a "calling station." I will, however, make value bets throughout the hand.

A player tightens up under pressure. Most bad players "squeeze" too much in the middle stages of a tournament, or when they're on the bubble. They tighten up and wait for a huge hand. Against these players, I will play a lot looser, looking to steal a larger share of the blinds and antes.

A player telegraphs the strength of his hand with "tells." I am always observing these players, whether I am in the hand or not.

Play online poker with Phil Gordon at Full Tilt Poker.

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Playing Multiple Tables

One thing good about playing online poker is you can play on multiple table tournaments. It's fun and exciting, plus if you're really good you get to win multiple pots as well.

Erick Lindgren, one of poker world's top players, encourages us to play multiple online tables. And here are some tips from Lindgren himself:

1. Increase your monitor resolution. If possible, use the 1,600 x 1,200 setting to get up to four games on one screen without overlap.

2. Use advance actions. Be on the lookout for hands you can fold automatically. Using advance actions will help you pay more attention to the game you have a real hand in.

3. Play the same game at every table. It will help you avoid mistakes in reading and playing your hand, and you'll find it easier to get into a good rhythm.

4. Track who raised the pot. Make sure you make a mental note of this since it is the key to how you will play your hand later. It sounds simple, but it is easy to get in a pot and not recall who raised when you're playing more than one game.

5. Make sure you take some breaks. Take a few breaks. Select the Sit-Out option so you can easily get back to the game.

Erick Lindgren plays at Full Tilt Poker and is a member of Team Full Tilt Poker.

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