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Most Common Online Poker Mistakes and the Best Ways to Avoid Them
As you progress on your poker journey, the learning process never ends. From learning the basics to competing in tournaments, whatever stage you are at with your poker skills, you will make mistakes. The thing is, improving as a poker player means recognizing those mistakes, learning from them and not repeating them.
Here are the most common mistakes poker players are making this year, and how you can avoid them in 2025. Take your poker game to the next level by preventing these errors and see your win rate go up all at the same time, making 2025 your best year in poker so far.
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The Surge in Online Poker Popularity
Why do mistakes matter? Because we are at a point where online poker is more popular than ever, and no matter where you are playing, from low stakes cash games to tournament play, there are players looking to exploit any mistake to win your money.
When online poker first appeared, it was an unknown quantity, pro players stuck to the in-person tournament scene, enthusiasts hadn’t really embraced the idea, so the online poker environment was dominated by recreational players. Here, a mistake or two were not such an issue, skill levels were low and games forgiving of mistakes.
But in the last decade things have changed drastically, as online poker has grown dramatically in popularity, with online tournaments featuring prizes that can make you a millionaire overnight. Here, mistakes can cost you a lot, so as online poker has become more mainstream, so the need to refine your game has become more important.
Mistake №1 – Playing Too Many Hands at the Casino or Poker Site
Professional players all approach the game in different ways, but one thing they tend to have in common is that they don’t play that many hands. The most common mistake new players make is not following this approach, and instead trying to play every hand instead of cutting your losses and folding when a hand is weak.
It is often seen as boring to fold, however being more selective about the hands you play will improve your win rate and help simplify your post-flop decision making.
Mistake №2 – Failing to Study the ways to Adapt to Online Play and the Opponents it Brings
Online poker is a very different experience to playing poker at a real table with other players. In a physical game, you can see the other players, how they behave, how often they look at the hole cards, their expressions and so on, and that makes it much easier to spot tells that help you understand their strategies.
In an online game, all of that physical assessment is gone, so you have to use other things to read the game and your opponents. From timing of their moves to bet sizes, how they use the chat box and more, there are many things you can still use to spot potential insight, but these are things you must learn.
Similarly, the online poker environment provides access to tools you could not use in a traditional game, with HUDs, bots and guides providing vital information that helps you make the right choices for the hands you play. Adapt to the online environment and use the tools you have available; they give you an edge. Playing the game like you would a traditional poker game puts any opponent making full use of the digital environment at an advantage.
Mistake №3 – Overvaluing Weak Hands and managing your risk
This can be connected to playing too many hands, and is caused by being too attached to the hand, and the money invested in the pot. If the post flow action suggests that there are string hands in play, and yours is not one of them, folding early is the sensible approach. However, for newer players, letting go of funds already in the pot is not so easy, and the temptation is to keep going.
Psychologists call this the sunk cost fallacy, where the fear of losing what you already put in is greater than the fear of losing more by keeping going. Good players will exploit this and ensure your losses are big, and they will keep doing it as well. Judge each game on whether you can win or not, not in terms of money in the pot. If its clear your hand is not good enough, get out.
Mistake №4 – Mismanaging Your Bankroll when Online Gambling
Bankroll management is one of those skills that is sort of taken for granted. In fact, managing your bankroll is one of the most important skills you can master if your goal is to do more than just play poker for fun. Poor bankroll management inevitably leads to a poker player running out of funds to play the game with. It may not happen immediately, but at some point, the bankroll will be empty unless you manage things properly, because also at some point, every player will go through some sort of losing streak.
Always keep at least 30 buy ins for the game you are playing in the bankroll, and walk away if you go below that. For a 5/10 cent game with a max $10 buy in, that means you should always have at least $300 in your bankroll.
Turning Mistakes into Learning Opportunities
Mistakes are not something to ignore, to pretend don’t happen, we all make mistakes, and when learning something as complex as poker, you will make many mistakes along the way. The important thing with mistakes is that you learn from them.
Part of that learning process is understanding what the mistake was, part is finding a new approach that solves the issue, but the third part is making sure you don’t make the same mistake again. Use any mistake not as a failure, but as a learning experience in this way, and your game will improve, so you can continue to grow as a poker player and achieve whatever you want to with the game.
FAQ:
What are the most common mistakes online poker players make in 2025?
The most common issue is playing too many hands, followed by bankroll mismanagement and constantly overvaluing weaker hands.
How can I improve my online poker strategy to avoid costly mistakes?
Making mistakes is inevitable as you are learning the complexities of online poker, the key is to learn from each one so you can avoid making them again.
What are some new trends in online poker that players should avoid in 2025?
Trends for the future include wilder variants of poker and multi-tabling with players pushing the limits to 12 or more tables. Stick to forms of poker
