In poker, seasoned players exploit the weaknesses of their opponents to build their stacks. For beginners, navigating this landscape can be daunting. Fortunately, some common mistakes consistently appear in their gameplay, presenting opportunities for experienced players to gain an edge.
To become the shark at the table, you need to learn to identify and eliminate the below common mistakes while also taking advantage of them when you see others making them at the table.
Here are the most common mistakes the pros see in beginners and how they exploit them:
1. Capitalizing on Premature Card Reveals
One of the most fundamental advantages a player holds in poker is position. Knowing what your opponents have done before you act allows you to make more informed decisions. However, some beginners fall into the trap of looking at their cards too early while giving tells on the strength of their hand. This seemingly harmless action can be a significant leak in their strategy.
Want to learn more about live tells? Chance Kornuth reveals his favorite 3 live tells HERE.
How to Exploit It:
Profitably Play More Hands: Many players will look at their cards well before it is their turn to act. They will often give away the strength of their hand by their behavior – sometimes they will even be ready to fold their hand. Example: If you are in the cutoff and your opponent on the button consistently looks at his hand early while showing a lack of interest (picking up their phone, watching TV etc) or indicating a fold before it is turn to act, you know you can effectively have the button if you want it.
Be Wary When They Show Interest: When an opponent looks at their hand early but then shows immediate interest in their holding – could stop talking, not pick up their phone, stop watching the game on TV etc – be cautious as they likely have a strong holding.
2. When Emotions Cloud Judgment: Going on Tilt
Tilt, a state of emotional distress caused by frustration or losses, is a major hurdle for beginners. Players experiencing tilt tend to make irrational decisions, often chasing losses or calling overly aggressive bets. Beginning players that are not as used to the variance and consistent bad beats that come with poker are much more susceptible to going on tilt. Recognizing and managing tilt is crucial for long-term success.
How to Exploit It:
Observe Physical Tells: Players on tilt often exhibit physical tells, such as fidgeting, sighing, or glaring. Use these signals to identify tilted opponents and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Aggression is Your Weapon: Tilted players are more likely to make loose calls. Increase your bet sizing on the flop and later streets to exploit their emotional state and extract maximum value from your strong hands.
Avoid Slow Playing: Don’t waste time slow playing strong hands against tilted opponents. Extract value quickly by betting or raising aggressively, forcing them to make tough decisions with clouded judgment.
3. Leaving Money on the Table: Value Bets
Value betting involves making bets with strong hands to get your opponent to call with weaker holdings. Beginners often struggle with value betting, especially on the river as they are scared of not having the nuts and potentially getting put in a tough spot if their opponent raises. This leaves significant amounts of money on the table.
How to Eliminate This Leak In Your Game:
Don’t Be Afraid to Bet Big: When you hold a strong hand on the river, don’t be afraid to bet a significant amount, especially if the board texture favors your holding. A large bet size can force your opponent to fold even decent hands, maximizing your profit.
Continuation Betting: If you’ve shown aggression throughout the hand, continue betting on the river even with weaker holdings. This continuation strategy can make your strong hands even more believable and induce calls from value-betting opponents.
Many Opponents Are Sticky: It’s hard to make a hand in NLH. Many players don’t like to fold pairs and will call down with mediocre holdings. Don’t always fear the monster under the bed of them only calling down with two-pair or better.
4. Playing a One-Size-Fits-All Game: The Importance of Range-Based Decisions
Making decisions based solely on the strength of your hand is a common beginner mistake. Strong poker play involves considering your entire range of possible holdings and acting accordingly. This allows you to be unpredictable and keeps your opponents guessing.
How to Exploit It:
Bluff Against Weak Ranges: If your opponent is known for calling with a wide range of hands, consider bluffing them more frequently. Since they’re less likely to call a big raise with weaker holdings, a well-timed bluff can be profitable. Usually these players want to see flops and will be calling lightly but only raising their biggest holdings – they are playing fairly face up.
Exploit Calling Stations: For players who call bets too frequently, increase your check-raising frequency. This unexpected aggression can force them to fold even strong hands, especially if they haven’t considered the possibility of a check-raise. You should also increase your bet sizings with your best hands against these players as they are not playing too much attention to the bet sizings.
Balance Your Play: Avoid becoming predictable. If you are never bluffing, you are easy to exploit and are very easy to play against.
5. Bluffing: Balancing Your Range with Calculated Deception
Another common beginner mistake lies in bluffing too infrequently. Fearful of appearing predictable or losing chips with a weak hand, novice players often miss opportunities to exploit opponents with well-timed bluffs. A balanced poker strategy requires incorporating bluffs at an appropriate frequency to keep your opponents guessing and maximize your value bets.
Exploitation Strategies:
Identify Straight Forward Players: Opponents that play a straight forward style are easily exploited as they are only raising with monster hands. If you get raised by one of these players on the river, you can exploit them by folding and saving a lot of chips unless you can beat the hand that they are representing. However, they are almost always only committing a lot of their stack with the nuts or near nuts.
Board Texture Analysis: Consider the board texture when deciding on your bluffing frequency. Boards that favor draws or contain scare cards (cards that significantly weaken your opponent’s range) often present better opportunities for bluffing.
Pot Odds and Implied Odds: Evaluate the pot odds. Many times, a bluff has to work only a small percentage of the time to be profitable.
