Poker

Avoid this poker mistake

Calling when having the worst hand is one of the biggest poker mistakes inexperienced and poor poker players make. The thinking of this mistake usually goes something like this:

“Well I’ve got a Queen and a 6 so, if I get a Queen on the flop I should be ahead and winning and if I get a Queen and a 6 I’m bound to take down a big hand.”

If this is what goes through your mind when playing I’ve got some solid advice for you, WAKE UP!

You need to stop dreaming and start concentrating on what really is going on. I guarantee you will NOT win a big pot with Queen 6. Ok you might if you get lucky, extremely aggressive or you’re up against even worse hands but in reality it’s unlikely to happen. Queen 6 is only an example, there are plenty of other equally or worse hands that you should throw away to avoid major poker mistakes.

Let’s say for example you are at a 10 player Sit and Go tournament. You’re in early position and have Queen 6 and you call, you pretty much have just guaranteed that you’ve lost your money. What if someone raises? Do you really think you will be ahead? If you have any sense then you will fold, unless of course you have a read on the raiser and re-raise the pot to force him of the hand, this is a dangerous play though because if he calls you are likely to be completely behind.

But say you are stubborn or you just really want to see the flop. Anything other then a Queen and perhaps a 6 than you’re going to be struggling big time. What happens if the flop comes J 8 3 all different suits? The player that raised chances are he has an Ace or King and unlikely to have raised with a worse hand then Q 6. Now you are in position, all you can hope for is to be able to check to see the next card, which is unlikely because your opponent has raised pre-flop and no doubt will bet again after the flop.

You will now need to chuck your cards or pay even more to try and catch the queen on the turn or the river.

If the flop had been Ace 4 Jack, you would need to fold to any bet as they would represent the Ace even if they didn’t have one.

Ok so stop calling with hands like Queen 6, or Jack 4 especially in big table of 8 - 10 players or tournaments. You need especially to stop calling in early position in the hand! If you play these hands when you’re in the dealer position, small blind or big blind then you have more of a chance to limp in and get lucky, but please you MUST fold them in early position.

If you don’t your chip stack will be hacked away at little by little by calling and by the blinds. All these little $20 and $30 calls you make soon add up and leave you with less money to play with when you do eventually get a decent hand.

So avoid this poker mistake and fold those rubbish hands!

James Irvin is a online poker professional who has developed a FREE Poker Report which details how you can cash-in and make a killing at Sit and Go poker tournaments.

To claim your FREE Poker Report please visit http://www.thegopropoker.com