Critical Thinking Errors at the Table

smuckenfart · Aug 8, 2022

It can be argued that success in poker is simply allowing your opponent to make mistakes. Better poker players make fewer mistakes.

Unless you're clairvoyant it's impossible not to make them, but there are mistakes that we make at times that we KNOW we shouldn't have.
What is the most common thinking error you make at the tables?

Risto234 · Aug 8, 2022

Most common "error" must be whenever you're card away from flush/straight/three of a kind/full house etc thinking that this much needed card eventually comes but in reality it doesn't come ...

Andyreas · Aug 8, 2022

Risto234 said:
Most common "error" must be whenever you're card away from flush/straight/three of a kind/full house etc thinking that this much needed card eventually comes but in reality it doesn't come ...

Not sure if this is considered an error.

In fact, there's a certain probability attached on how many outs you have and the cost of calling the bet determines whether that call is profitable (in the long run) or not. So even if the card did not come but your pot odds were better than you needed them to be, it was still the right decision.

pescaofish · Aug 8, 2022

for me, the main thinking errors at the Poker table is to think that the villain is bluffing when is not!

pescaofish · Aug 8, 2022

that cost me many Final Tables

and even the qualifying list!

Risto234 · Aug 8, 2022

Andyreas said:
Not sure if this is considered an error.

In fact, there's a certain probability attached on how many outs you have and the cost of calling the bet determines whether that call is profitable (in the long run) or not. So even if the card did not come but your pot odds were better than you needed them to be, it was still the right decision.

Overthinking can easily be error then ...

Or in my case: actually playing cardchat games qualifies as error aswell. Kind of.

fullclock · Aug 8, 2022

What a good question. I think there are many mistakes that can be made at a poker table. I have an error that I must try to improve. It's when I get called with cards out of position. That makes me very angry.

smuckenfart · Aug 8, 2022

Andyreas said:
Not sure if this is considered an error.

In fact, there's a certain probability attached on how many outs you have and the cost of calling the bet determines whether that call is profitable (in the long run) or not. So even if the card did not come but your pot odds were better than you needed them to be, it was still the right decision.

Correct sir. The mistake then would be in the decision making process. In the situation you've outlined where the player does the maths (and equity exceeds pot odds) then it's the right decision.
ie. A. you flop an open ended straight draw with $3000 in the pot, villain bets $1500. With 8 outs (32% equity) and 33% pot odds with 2 cards to come, it's a break even at best so you decide to fold.
B. same situation you flop an open ended straight draw with $3000 in the pot, this time the villain bets $1000. With 32% equity and 25% pot odds you make the call.

A different player (as I think the OP intended) flops an open ended straight draw, their pulse increases as the villain bets $1500. Hero stares at the board, looks at their chips, they have a good feeling about this! Hero answers his own prayers and makes the call. Even if this hero calling in situation B making the correct play, his thinking is still wrong.

smuckenfart · Aug 8, 2022

fullclock said:
What a good question. I think there are many mistakes that can be made at a poker table. I have an error that I must try to improve. It's when I get called with cards out of position. That makes me very angry.

Question 1: Does that mean that when you make bets out of position you expect or hope that it gets folded around?
Question 2: Does that mean that you're bluffing when you make these bets in early position? ie. not playing your range appropriately
Question 3: Or do you mean that getting angry that they call is the thinking error?

Rachidao · Aug 8, 2022

So many critical errors i got, one of them is "I'll get my chips back from this fish."

Poker_Mike · Aug 8, 2022

smuckenfart said:
What is the most common thinking error you make at the tables?

The most common error I make at the table is assuming that my opponent does not have the card(s) he needs to beat me.

This is some form of underestimating my opponents.

"There's no way he has a 10....there's no way he has a 10!!"

pariurisportive88 · Aug 8, 2022

Dont play when You ar tired !

smuckenfart · Aug 8, 2022

Poker_Mike said:
The most common error I make at the table is assuming that my opponent does not have the card(s) he needs to beat me.

This is some form of underestimating my opponents.

"There's no way he has a 10....there's no way he has a 10!!"

What's worse, that or thinking, "Of COURSE he has the 10..." and still calling?

Poker_Mike · Aug 8, 2022

smuckenfart said:
What's worse, that or thinking, "Of COURSE he has the 10..." and still calling?

Yes - calling when you think he has a 10 is worse.

Why call? Paying to see it?

I think this sin is most commonly committed by newbies.

Or - if one has severe trust issues in their private life!

I always prefer my way - erring on the side of aggression.

dompoker · Aug 9, 2022

Sometimes I lose a lot of chips with bad hands, I have to be patient and wait for good hands.

0546474 · Aug 9, 2022

Flush draws and straight draws with these hands I have too much unnecessary risk and if we talk about the mistake of thinking, this is underestimating the opponent's game!!!

IRINA70 · Aug 9, 2022

Almost every attempt to beat a much larger stack shows that in online poker this is a useless undertaking - he still "reaches" not on the turn, but on the river. This mistake has cost me a lot in the past both in tournaments and cash games.

Fushicho · Aug 9, 2022

My biggest mistake is calling in small or big blind and then being totally out of position after the flop. I keep doing it and its starting to annoy me.

ikescherer · Aug 9, 2022

My critical error is when I’m in a dilema for calling, my rational side tells to fold but then somehow I convince myself to call or shove.

DiegoRamos · Aug 9, 2022

smuckenfart said:
It can be argued that success in poker is simply allowing your opponent to make mistakes. Better poker players make fewer mistakes.

Unless you're clairvoyant it's impossible not to make them, but there are mistakes that we make at times that we KNOW we shouldn't have.
What is the most common thinking error you make at the tables?

It really happens, as an example, that typical player who goes out paying everything to hit 2 outs on the rive and you say: It's not possible that he paid me this far to hit this river... Then you push all the chips and your intuition was certain.

But that's right, the profit comes to those who make the least mistakes.

GoodMoon90 · Aug 9, 2022

The Standard Mistake of Beginners is Tilt After One Lost, Albeit a Large Hand)

Zvezda kz · Aug 9, 2022

My main mistake is a biased attitude towards opponents, which I previously noted in my notes. You need to understand that sitting at the table you need to evaluate the game of your opponents at the moment, and use notes last. Although the notes are about 80 percent correct, but everything changes, and the game changes, and the players.

85champ07 · Aug 9, 2022

The most common mistake I make is with my bet sizing. I typically play as a TAG (Tight and aggressive) player. I also mix in limping, four betting, and 3 calling, but generally I will end up trying to control whether or not I have a small amount of opponents or large. This does not always work, there are individuals that call 50BB with a 65o preflop and then gets some weird board and takes out my AA. Damn, should have bet more, or less, sometimes I don't even know. Betting others out of the pot preflop is an okay strategy, but when your either not getting enough value or a crazy villian with 200BB runs you over, you usually wonder what you did wrong.

DaveE · Aug 9, 2022

Thinking I don't make thinking errors

INISHTE · Aug 21, 2022

I often go All In with Two Pair when I know my opponent has a flush.

Critical Thinking Errors at the Table

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Risto234

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