Pre-flop Mistakes and how to avoid them.

Our resident Poker Pro Denis O'Mahoney takes you through the most common pre-flop mistakes made by poker newbies. Take heed and make sure you read this article thoroughly and we can virtually guarantee it will improve your games, especially if you are new to poker.

Looking at your hand before your turn to make a move

If you take a look at your cards you could be missing vital information that other players around the table could be giving you as they look at theirs. As well as that, as soon as you remind yourself of what you have you could start to give away some tell tails of your own. In future wait for your turn around the table and make the most of the time you have to study the other players.

Letting your mind wonder

You need to keep your head in the game and watch everything that's going on around the table at all times to 'work out' the other players. If you don't concentrate you will miss patterns of play and particular tells which could lead you to some embarrassing mistakes!

'The kid who cried call'

Beginners always make the mistake of calling anything and anyone around the table. This can lead to you going broke very quickly. Learn to make better decisions on how you play the hands that you have, try to mix it up a bit and don't be afraid to fold early, there's another hand coming right up.

Limping in

Horses with a limp don't even start the race, strong ones start and may limp home later. Apply this rule to your poker play. Weak players will call on a mediocre hand in the beginning only to find it's not worth it. Try to almost always open the pot with a bet on a good hand and back off later if you need to, don't limp on the big hands though as you'll only give the weaker hands more chance to get lucky.

Better to double up, than to dribble away

If your stack of chips is about 10 times the big blind or less then you either need to start doubling up or stealing some blinds. Try doing this before the blind hits you again or with an unopened pot. Think about going all in, this may seem risky so try to do it with strong hands but remember it may also be necessary to do it with any hand to stay in and build your stack up again.

Slow play, less pay

Even if you've got a really strong hand with kings and aces they can still be upstaged at the flop so try to raise pre-flop and speed things up a bit, it'll get the small fry folding. If you narrow the field you have a better chance of taking the pot.

Re-raising even when it's not your style

If you're playing in a no limit game you need to put the other people round the table to the test. If there are other players around the table who seem to consistently raise in the late position when you're on the button or during the blinds, give them a re-raise, even with a weak hand and see what happens. By giving them a run for their money they have to have a re think about what they're doing if they were just trying to steal blinds.

Pick a poker pocket or two…

Stealing blinds is all very well and can be a useful tactic but don't do it too often as an experienced player might call your bluff by raising you. Be selective about using this tactic and know when it's time to stop.

Goody two shoes…

Being honest is admirable but stealing blinds can be an essential part of your game especially when you need to build up your stack and keep your head above water in a sit and go or multi-table tournament. Try stealing a couple of times and then holding back so it doesn't look too obvious. You might find yourself in a good position anyway when a great hand comes your way.

Playing a dough-boy - a big raise

There is always the temptation with a hand like a low pair to bet big in say 3rd or 4th place at the table. The problem is that the only other people who are going to call or re-raise you are those with really strong hands who will trump you later in the hand. It's a brave move but there isn't any need to put your self in a risky position like this early on in a tournament.

Put your foot down in pole position

Being on the button is the strongest position around the table, don't waste this opportunity. You can make bets you can't in other positions. It's great for stealing blinds but be cautious with it and only use it to its full advantage on betting big when you've got a strong hand.

Big blind calling

It's easy to get into the habit of calling the big blind with every hand like you're on auto pilot. As you're the first to bet you'll have no idea what's going on around the table. If it's really not worth it don't waste the chips, fold and just wait for the next hand.

Protecting blinds

The blind is just the cost of being in the game, so make sure you remember that, it's a necessary evil. If you know you shouldn't re-raise then don't, just ride it out. There will always be players going for your blinds but at the end of the day it's not your money anymore it belongs to the pot. Protect yourself in your next bet not the compulsory one.

Table etiquette

Don't act out of turn, don't show your cards if you've folded and the hand is still in play. Doing these things does have an effect on the hands and the over all tournaments so limit beer and E numbers or anything else beforehand!

Mix it up

If you always play the same pattern, experienced players will work you out pretty quickly and this could ruin a tournament for you. Have some unexpected moves up your sleeve, you might have to give yourself a nudge to do them and get out of your comfort zone but jab your self in the leg from time to time and keep them guessing.

Tell spotting

You don't have to be some kind of psychologist to work out what other players are thinking when they look at their cards it just takes practice. Concentrate on faces and before long it'll be second nature and you can make other players around the table sweat and twitch a bit more as you bring them down.

Putting your hole cards to bed

There are situations where it is ok to lay down Jacks and Queens before the flop. If there is heavy betting and raising in front of you, you could be facing some serious pairs. If the future of your life in a tournament is at stake, lay them down and ride it out.

Being a tightwad

Unless you're really sure some one else has aces, have a gamble pre flop, if you have a good hand best to try and win with it. You'll only build your stack by taking a chance on the strong hands so do it.

Failing to watch the chip stacks

You don't have to have counting skills like rain man when you glance round the table but it's important to keep an eye on who's got what before you bet against anyone. If you're short stacked, betting into the chip leader could be suicide. On the flipside, if you raise against the small stack, they may not be able to afford to fold. Get into the habit of taking a second to consider this before every bet you make.

Ace-rag excitement

If you haven't had a strong hand dealt for ages and all of a sudden you get an ace and a low card it's easy to get excited and play it anyway. Stop and think first. Around a full table there are bound to other player who have aces too and will also have higher kickers than you. If your hole cards are suited it may be worth a punt but otherwise be very cautious.

Sudden movements giving it all away

Try to keep you body language consistent. If you do anything obvious like try to suppress a grin when you draw 2 aces for instance everyone will know. Just sit tight and bet in the normal way, stay calm and save the celebrations for winning the tournament.

Heads up raising

If you find yourself heads up then it's generally advised to be aggressive and raise every time. Find what works best for you but avoid letting the other player have a free flop.