There are endless types of errors and mistakes waiting for you when you play poker but today we’ll highlight a couple of the really big, what can be called “strategic” level, errors. Not ones like calling when you should fold and that sort of “per hand” error but the sort of mistake that can destroy your bankroll and make you a long term loser. Doing them in free online poker games, is bad though at least you’ll only lose your virtual currency, but should you repeat them in real money games it can get messy.

On a positive note they are not to hard to fix once recognized, they are mental and not skill related so hopefully, if you do them you can stop it quickly.

1. I’m losing but I’ll continue playing until I get back all the money I lost.
A huge beginner error that gets made time and time again. Fact – If you are losing it’s more likely that you will continue losing if you don’t stop.

As a beginner you don’t have the basic concepts of poker very well established in your head, and you probably haven’t read any strategy guides or lessons on poker yet, or if you have the information is still very shallow and unpractised. This lack of core skill and experience is nearly always the reason behind the losing sequence.

Experienced poker players can and do have bad streaks but they know it will not last. They will be confident in their skill and ability and know that if they keep playing sensibly, that they will come out ahead.

In contrast, beginners who keep playing into a losing sequence will nearly always find it gets worse. When you find yourself in a serial losing run you need to stop and work out why.

Most of the time bad play is the reason. Bad calls, going allin with a marginal hand, getting annoyed (tilting) and playing silly hands and giving all your chips away…and many more

So, if you are in a losing streak, take a break and review your game, to see more where the leaks are.

2. I am in the money now! Now you can close down and go watch TV.

‘In the money’ means reaching the prizes in a tournament. i.e. You’re in a freeroll. It is a 300 player field where the top 75 are in the money with 75th getting $0.02 up to $30 for 1st place. If you can make it into the top 75 players you’ll get, at the least, the minimum prize.

In our example freeroll here, it’s a deep stack and we have been playing for say 4 hours. There are 76 players left and you have only 2000 chips when the blinds are 500/1000. You really want to survive and get paid after such a lot of time invested. Suddenly, a player is eliminated and you are one of the 75 players, you’ve made it.

‘Nice’ you say, ‘I can go to watch TV now!’. Of course you can, but really, after playing for hours are you going to be happy with probably only $0,02? You basically give up just after you get it? That’s not really good.

If you make it to the money, even if you are weak, please, please keep playing – why not?! If you close your poker client just after the last non-paid player is eliminated, you are likely to be eliminated very soon, and you’ll get the smallest prize of all.

But, consider this: Next, you get a good hand and go all-in in your last shoot and get doubled up. Then you’ll be a lot better off and who knows maybe be able to double up again and advance on as more players are knocked out.

Now, you have an above average chip stack and can steal blinds. Some of the others will now fear your all in. Play well and get some good cards and you could make final table and a decent pay off.

It’s just a small change in mental approach but one that can make a giant difference to your poker fortunes. You don’t have anything to lose playing a little more instead go and doing something else.

TIP: Even when you think you’re finished, try a little further. You may be wondering how this mistake can be a bankroll killer, well in free online poker it’s not but if you play buy in real money tournaments, then the opportunity cost of settling for very small “scraper” wins can erode your bankroll over time as all the ones when you don’t make the money add up (and even great players only make the money a fraction of the time).

You need to always fish for whales, a lot of the time you’ll catch minnows but just now and again the whopper will come in.

Good luck at the tables and be sure to practice on the poker free online trainiing tables first before risking real money.