Beginner Mistakes

Gritz18

Gritz18

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Total posts
5,398
Awards
3
BR
Chips
1,031
What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?
Here we go:

1st - Wanting to play many hands by limping in.

2nd - Calling a raise after limping in with more than two players in the hand.

3rd - Leaving a donkeybet betting 1bb on a hand where you are not the aggressor.

4th - Calling all the way to the end with a third pair that hit on the flop.

5th - Not knowing how to fold an AK, even if you didn't hit anything on the flop, tuner or river, and worse, going all-in after the flop even if you didn't hit anything.

I could go on and on listing several situations that indicate a player is a beginner, but I won't go on. This happens a lot in freeroll tournaments, where most players don't hold on to their chips, so they go all-in.
 
Flyer35

Flyer35

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
May 11, 2024
Total posts
1,221
Awards
2
CA
Chips
455
All in excitement will spot a beginner every time.
Absolutely the number one beginner mistake especially if a freeroll or lower stakes (<$25 buy-in or <$125 if satted in) tournament.
 
MishkaZL

MishkaZL

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 1, 2018
Total posts
2,378
Awards
2
UA
Chips
331
Of course, we all make mistakes as a beginner or novice poker player.

What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?
Beginner players usually try to play as many hands as possible, often bluff and often play with bad cards, and for me, all of this is a sign that my opponent is a beginner.
 
Matt_Burns88

Matt_Burns88

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 24, 2018
Total posts
1,544
Awards
2
GB
Chips
485
Playing too many hands or too few
Playing too passively or too aggressively
Not understanding position
Not understanding board texture
Playing in a way that clearly reveals your hand strength
 
Pityesz1974

Pityesz1974

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 11, 2022
Total posts
231
Awards
1
HU
Chips
338
It brings you back together, or barely, sometimes enters the game.
 
Luvepoker

Luvepoker

Lost in the twilight zone
Community Guide
Joined
Feb 21, 2018
Total posts
5,602
Awards
23
US
Chips
1,082
When I see a player calling down when the hand is obviously not good especially Multi way.

When Live it is seeing them look at their cards before they act and actually holding them so them can fold when it is there turn.
 
Suns of Beaches

Suns of Beaches

Ripley rips it in on Replay
Platinum Level
Joined
Oct 26, 2019
Total posts
3,919
Awards
2
Chips
976
If someone says raise instead of bet postflop or bet instead of raise preflop.
 
Propane Goat

Propane Goat

Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't
Moderator
Joined
Apr 26, 2013
Total posts
8,102
Awards
4
US
Chips
864
Limping in with weak hands from mid to early position then calling when someone shoves all-in. I can see why they do it - I've certainly been knocked out by this move often enough when I was way ahead pre-flop:poop:
 
john_entony

john_entony

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 3, 2023
Total posts
2,018
Awards
6
UA
Chips
185
Of course, we all make mistakes as a beginner or novice poker player.

What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?
Almost all beginners cannot read the game of their opponents. Also, many beginners cannot analyze the ratio of the bet size on the flop to the possible combinations on the turn and river. Many beginners go all-in after unsuccessful hands. These are only a small part of mistakes. In fact, there are much more. :unsure:
 
dannystanks

dannystanks

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 25, 2023
Total posts
508
US
Chips
418
Playing live tournament poker for me it’s pretty easy to spot beginners right away. They just call no matter what the size of the bet is. They don’t know math yet so they have no idea if they are getting the right price to call or not. So because of this their bet sizes just never make sense. Also they will have tells so pay attention to beginners. Yea they just tend to see their own cards and never wonder what the opponents are up to and what they might have so they are basically playing at a level 0 right now. This is why live poker is so fun!
 
passat1600

passat1600

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 3, 2021
Total posts
747
Awards
4
UA
Chips
485
Beginners are said to be lucky, but luck can not be kept constantly by the tail.
I agree with those who believe that beginners usually play all hands in a row, and are afraid of large bets)))
 
pentazepam

pentazepam

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Total posts
2,611
Awards
4
SE
Chips
1,018
This is a master class in first betting too small and then overplaying aces at the river to such a degree that your opponent almost folds the third nuts for a relatively small amount:

 
Sintubai

Sintubai

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 3, 2009
Total posts
1,078
Awards
4
Chips
282
- Limping
- Raise fold (- 10bb)
- Crazy shoves without position
- High VPIP
 
Igor G

Igor G

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 8, 2021
Total posts
1,146
Awards
1
UA
Chips
353
Of course, we all make mistakes as a beginner or novice poker player.

What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?
Playing with different rubbish - I think this is the most common mistake of beginners. I myself, when I started, tried to play with junk and this systematic mistake brought me systematic losses and even worse, disappointment.
 
Leandro6803

Leandro6803

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 19, 2022
Total posts
547
Awards
2
Chips
704
The main mistakes of beginner players are:

- bet size: many limp.
- see a lot of flops.
- They bluff a lot.
- they get stressed easily.
 
najisami

najisami

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Total posts
5,129
Awards
8
MA
Chips
1,421
Of course, we all make mistakes as a beginner or novice poker player.

What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?

Hello Shells :),

The most common mistakes a beginner makes have been already mentioned above, but I want to participate too, so pardon the repetitions.

A novice player plays almost every hand and passively (Limping).
If they hit anything, they bet the minimum or just call if in position.
If they ever raise, you know they're holding a monster.

In cash games, a beginner comes in with less than the max buy-in and posts the blind instead of waiting for it.

In live games, a newbie looks at his cards before his turn to act, you also see them looking at the flop even when they have the position instead of looking at their opponent's reaction to it and their chips are usually not stacked properly etc...

There are more clues, but I don't want this to become a whole article ;).
 
Poker_Mike

Poker_Mike

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 15, 2017
Total posts
5,066
Awards
2
Chips
500
Of course, we all make mistakes as a beginner or novice poker player.

What are some mistakes made that help us spot a beginner?
One thing I notice is:

They bet too much.
or
They bet too little.

Both are mistakes.
 
Top