Poker Pitfalls To Avoid: Watch Out!
In poker – there are things that you need to avoid. While no one plans on losing, there are a lot of things that you can do to lose and a lot of things that you can do to avoid losing. No one plans to lose in poker, however there are many things that people constantly do that make them lose – without them realizing it.
For example, a lot of people select hands poorly. Like playing too many hands – even if they are bad ones instead of folding; if you are on a losing streak, take it and run with it … quit for a while.
You always want to make sure that while you are staying with your head in the game that you are not going to get stuck in a rut, unable to get out. That happens to, too many players and they end up losing quite a bit of money, which is not what poker should be all about.
The Importance of Maths in Poker
Math is an important tool in poker – not the only tool, but part of an important arsenal. To compete in any poker game, especially in an online poker game where, because of the myriad hands played, all players have access to thousands of hands of statistical data, learning the basic probabilities and odds of various poker situations becomes essential to making the right decisions. Playing free poker initially can be a good idea to learn a few math tricks.
There are some extremely intelligent people who take the math-aspect of poker to an extreme degree, 
applying advanced principles of game theory and Bayesian concepts to their game, but still other players of the older school of poker, players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed, armed with superior honed instincts, psychological insight, and elementary understanding of odds and probabilities, consistently place at the top of the game.
Here is one of many examples where math will guide a poker decision. Say you are playing in an online poker tournament and have 2000 in chips, from the 1500 you started with 10 players are at the table. The blinds have risen to $100-$200, and there is a $25 ante. You are in the big blind and are dealt 2-6 off suit. This is a terrible hand! But in this example, you’ll be calling with it. Here’s why. Everyone except the small blind folds. This is rare, but it’ll happen. The small blind, having suffered a bad beat, only has 500 chips left. He raises all in.
Some players who aren’t aware of the math would fold, here, but that would be a huge mistake! Consider the money that’s in the pot — with $300 from the blinds, another $225 in antes, plus the $400 added by the all-in bet of the small blind, there is $925 in the pot!! And although you have a lowly 2-6, you need only call $300 more to try to earn more than TRIPLE on your money. Against the range of hands that the small blind could have, chances are you are no worse than a 2-and-a-half to one underdog but getting 3-to-1 on a call!! Even if the small blind has AK suited, or AQ or AJ suited, you’re no worse than 32% to win!!!! That makes a call mathematically necessary! All this in addition to the increase in tournament equity simply by eliminating another player and getting closer to the money.
Without the math, you’d never have known.
Learn to take a Bad Beat
When playing poker, getting smacked in the face with the deck happens in both ways. Some sessions, you'll hit your gutshots on the turn - and other sessions, people will run over your Aces with the 56s like they're destined. Dealing with this type of situations is one of the biggest differences between online poker and real 'gambling' like online bingo or roulette. The misconception of control in poker hurts when looked at on a hand-to-hand basis. Obviously, control is relatively attainable in the long run, but it's hard to focus on the long run when you get beat hand after hand in any given session.
Here's a prime example from Youtube of a guy who obviously feels like the deck hates him more than it hates others...
My only tip, be prepared, whenever you play poker, to get these beats - try not to tilt too badly, and you'll do just fine!
