The Supplemental Kick

All online poker players make mistakes sometimes, even the pros. Learning what the most common mistakes are and avoiding falling into these pitfalls will improve your poker online game and profits. One common mistake is to simply play your cards by the book and not attempt any bluffs. It makes you too easy to read and people will not call your bets if you only play good cards. Look for a few opportunities to put out a naked or semi-bluff when the betting is low and you can go to showdown fairly cheaply to show your bluff. Another common online poker mistake is to place too much value on a hand that is only top pair. Sure, this hand does win sometimes, but is easily beat also. When holding top pair, always be alert to the fact that another player could be betting two pairs or a set. When you raise in No-Limit poker, be sure not to under-bet the pot. You want those who are on a draw to have pay a high price to see another card. Under-bets breed bad beats. Don’t be a calling station and donk off your chips. Recognize when your hand is beat. When you go up against a calling station, don’t even attempt to bluff. Instead put out value bets to build the pot. There is tendency to tighten up toward late stages of tournaments. Instead of going on the defensive with tight play, look for opportunities to aggressively steal pots from tight players. Avoid telegraphing your hand with tells – little clues that indicate whether you are strong or weak, like reaching for your chips after seeing your pocket cards. Do look for tells from other players, and even use them yourself consciously to deceive your opponents.