The Three Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginner Texas Hold'em Players

Not long ago Texas Hold'em poker exploded on the scene and players came rushing to the tables. What makes Texas Hold'em so popular is the simple fact that a good player can make a nice profit playing this game. Beginning players, excited at the thought of wining big pots, are quick to try their skill against the more experienced players. They Usually sadly walk away with less than they came with. Learning to play Texas Hold'em is easy. Learning to win Texas Hold'em is harder. There are three big mistakes that beginning Texas Hold'em players make that they should identify and avoid.

First, too many beginners keep their eyes on the flop when it is turned over. This is understandable. Everyone is excited about the opportunities that a flop can bring. But watching the flop is a mistake. Often players react when the flop is turned over. It may be subtle. Perhaps their eyes move to their chips. Perhaps they lean in a little closer to the table. Perhaps they've closed their lips or press them tighter together. All of these are important clues signaling the strength or weakness of an opponents hand. If a beginning player is watching the flop when it is turned over two things happen. First, they miss the opportunity to notice these changes in their opponents, thus missing the information that would give them clues on how to play their hand. Second, they risk the chance of giving information to other players that allow other players to play better. Beginning players should avoid watching the flop being placed on the table and instead concentrate on picking up information from other players who are watching the cards turn face up.

Second, many beginning players start to act when it is not their turn. Even if they are aware that it is not their turn, they may move their hand closer to their pile of chips getting ready to grab them to make a call. They may instinctively pick up the cards and prepare to muck their hand. This gives other players an idea of how strong their hand is. If it is my turn to act, and I see a beginner next to me preparing to muck his cards, I am going to place a bet in the pot. It doesn't matter what my hand is. If I checked, which I might do if my hand didn't get helped by the flop, my opponent will get to see the turn card. This gives my opponent the chance to improve. Many beginning players show weakness or strength by starting to act before it is their turn.

The third biggest mistake that beginning poker players make is they play too many hands. Poker is a game of patience. Holding a Queen and a Ten in your hand may appear to be strong enough to play. Let's face it, if an Ace, King, and Jack fall on the flop you are going to make a fortune. But in reality it takes a very skilled player to play a hand like this. It is something that beginning players should avoid. When first starting out, players should stick to the strongest 15 or 20 starting hands. Once their ability grows, they can increase the number and variety of hands that they play.

Texas Hold'em is a game of skill. Beginning players may become frustrated easily when they find winning difficult. By avoiding the three big mistakes mentioned above, beginner Texas Hold'em players will have more fun, gain respect at the table, and start to have more winning poker sessions.