As a new player of poker, it might be well worth knowing that there are certain mistakes you can avoid at this stage. Some of these are:
Avoid playing short-handed: Playing short-handed needs a lot of skill. Besides, you can’t be very patient at this stage, so it’s likely that you will play weak hands. And, if you’re playing several hands in each game, you will be at a disadvantage when you compete with seasoned players.
As an inexperienced player, you also will have a limited bankroll which will be insufficient to take all the fluctuations of the game into account. Often, such fluctuations can cause you to go on tilt—a big mistake. To play short-handed, you need a different mindset which develops as you learn the game and gain valuable experience.
Bluffing excessively: It’s fine to bluff your opponent once in a while but if you overdo it, you will get called. If you bet with a weak hand, it can reduce your chipstack. So bluff, but just a little.
Wrong playing position: Perhaps you’d like to play the maximum number of FullTilt hands from a late position and aggressively too. If you go any later, you can see just what your opponents do, but if you’re in an early position, it’s better to play a few hands.
Stay calm, don’t get emotional: If you get emotional while playing, you can make big mistakes. Instead, stay detached from the game, be calm and play with your head. Keep your heart out of your game.
Focus too much on your cards: Play opposite other players, not against the cards. Learn how your opponents react to certain cards and ensure that only a few hands reach the last card. Use all the knowledge you have of your opponents to force them to fold as soon as possible.
Assume you’re the best: You may be under the mistaken assumption that you’re the best player but perhaps you’re not. To be a really good player, stop having such thoughts and concentrate on practicing your game, or you will lose a lot of precious time in wasteful thoughts.
Staying on in the game: You need to know just when to quit, whether after a big or a small loss, if you want to be a good poker player.
Deny any help: Perhaps you learn better by watching other poker players, like Phil Ivey play, or by asking others for advice, but you must get help periodically to improve your game. Of course, there could be nothing better than learning by actually playing the game, as you have realized by now.
Playing stakes you can’t afford: You should concentrate on playing only those games whose stakes you can comfortably afford. After all, the higher the stakes you play, the higher the competition level. At your level of inexperience, you might not be able to match the experience of the seasoned players at the table. So, start small and move up slowly as your skills mature and your bankroll grows impressively.