Lost three months of rent money playing online poker before I figured out what I was doing wrong. Not my proudest moment, but it forced me to get serious about my game. These five mistakes were bleeding my bankroll dry. Fixing them transformed my results almost overnight.
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#1 Playing Like a Robot Against Different Opponents
Used to sit down at tables and play “my game” regardless of who I was up against. Big mistake.
One night, I kept 3-betting a super-tight player who folded every time except once, when he had aces and stacked me. I should have noticed his pattern and adjusted instead of blindly applying the same strategy.
How I fixed it:
- Started taking quick notes on opponents (even one-word labels help)
- Adjusted my aggression based on their tendencies
- Developed different strategies for loose-aggressive players versus tight-passive ones
. Now I pay as much attention to who I’m playing against as I do to my own cards.
#2 Playing Way Too Many Hands
When I started, I played nearly 40% of the hands dealt to me. Pure disaster. Every marginal hand became an excuse to see a flop.
Checking my tracker software revealed the truth – hands like K7 offsuit and Q9 offsuit were my biggest losers.
How I fixed it:
- Downloaded starting hand charts and followed them strictly
- Cut down to playing about 15-20% of hands (tighter in early positions)
- Accepted that folding most hands is correct, not boring
- Saw immediate improvement in my win rate
Now I automatically fold trash hands, saving chips for spots with an edge.
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#3 Bluffing Without Purpose
I used to bluff because it felt cool, not because it made sense. Tried fancy three-barrel bluffs against players who never folded.
Worst moment: Bluffed my entire stack against a player who had called down three streets with bottom pair the previous hand. He called again with the third pair and took my money.
How I fixed it:
- Started bluffing against players with high fold percentages, not maniacs
- Chose better board textures for bluffs (scary cards that hit my range)
- Used tracking data to identify who folds and who doesn’t
- Sized my bluffs more effectively (smaller on the flop, bigger on turns/rivers)
My bluffing frequency hasn’t changed, but the success rate has jumped by targeting the right opponents.
#4 Playing on Tilt After Bad Beats
The worst money I’ve ever lost wasn’t from bad strategy – it was from emotional play after bad beats.
After getting sucked out on with AA vs. KK (they hit a king), I proceeded to lose three more buy-ins playing recklessly out of frustration.
How I fixed it:
- Set a strict “two buy-in” loss limit for any session
- Created a mandatory 30-minute break rule after bad beats
- Started walking away from the computer completely during breaks
- Used deep breathing techniques to reset mentally
This simple change prevented more losses than any strategic improvement.
#5 Ignoring the Math (Pot Odds and EV)
Made calls based on gut feelings rather than numbers. Would chase draws when the pot wasn’t offering the right price, or fold when getting great odds.
Folded to a half-pot bet with a flush draw once, throwing away money in the long run.
How I fixed it:
- Learned basic pot odds calculations (you only need to hit your draw 25% of the time to call a half-pot bet)
- Started thinking in terms of “expected value” instead of immediate results
- Used simple shortcuts: for flush draws, multiply outs (9) by 4 on the flop or 2 on the turn to get approximate equity percentage
- Made profitable mathematical decisions regardless of any single hand’s outcome
This approach removes emotion from decisions. You’ll still lose sometimes, but you’re making plays that profit long-term.
Bottom Line
These five mistakes cost me thousands before I caught on. The good news? Most players never fix these leaks, giving you an edge if you do.
Winning at poker isn’t about fancy bluffs or amazing reads. It’s about consistency in avoiding fundamental errors. Tighten up your starting hands, adjust to your opponents, control your emotions, bluff with purpose, and use basic math.
Fix these five things and watch your win rate climb.
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