What’s the One Poker Mistake You Keep Repeating?

Bakti213 · Monday at 11:55 AM

No matter how much we study, I think every player has that one mistake that keeps coming back.
For me, it’s sometimes getting too curious in big pots and making calls I already know are probably losing calls.
Other times it might be playing too many hands when bored, bluffing the wrong opponent, or not quitting when focus drops.
Poker is weird because even when you know the right play, it’s not always easy to make it in the moment.
What’s the one leak or mistake you still struggle with the most in your game?

Mazembe · Monday at 12:02 PM

Limping in when I'm suppose to be raising and 3 betting . The problem is that I'm sometimes afraid to run in to it, or be dominated. But I'm working on it now

Bakti213 · Monday at 12:07 PM

Mazembe said:
Limping in when I'm suppose to be raising and 3 betting . The problem is that I'm sometimes afraid to run in to it, or be dominated. But I'm working on it now

That’s a very common leak, and the fact you already recognize why you’re doing it (fear of domination / tough spots) is a big step forward.
What usually helps is shifting the focus from “what if I run into a better hand?” to “what’s the EV of raising here long-term?”. Because limping almost always gives up initiative and makes postflop decisions harder.
Also, when you do get called or 3-bet, it’s not necessarily a bad thing—you’re often still playing a stronger, more defined range than your opponent in many spots.
A good middle step is to start widening your value + bluff 3-bet range gradually, instead of forcing huge changes overnight. That way you build confidence in those spots without feeling like you’re gambling.
You’re already on the right track just by being aware of it.

Emily Trott · Monday at 12:14 PM

Betting out of turn.

tuitui · Monday at 12:35 PM

I guess for me probably the worst one is forgetting to enroll to freerolls I have been planning to take part to. And then realizing it when it is supposed to start.

veszmo · Monday at 12:38 PM

My biggest mistake is impatience. I often can't wait for the right moment to take action.

KHaled0123000 · Monday at 12:38 PM

Call all in with JJ its making crzay

bremp555 · Monday at 1:56 PM

For me, it’s probably trying to force action when the session is slow. Sometimes patience starts feeling uncomfortable and you begin looking for spots that just aren’t good enough.

Poker rewards discipline much more than creativity most of the time, and that’s a lesson I feel players keep relearning forever.

BillyR23 · Monday at 2:20 PM

What’s the One Poker Mistake You Keep Repeating?

I'm sure there are a lot of poker mistakes most of us keep repeating, despite knowing better... if I had to pick just one- I'm going with the 1st thing that popped in my head while reading this thread: when I've started playing poker online, like ~15 years ago, I've won a very big cash game pot with Ad9h and since then I've considered this as my favorite poker hand - for some reason I had a very good run with this hand for a bit of time and it also became my 'lucky hand'... after studying and improved my poker skills by a lot over the years and also paying more attention to tracking my results/sessions and the success with different starting hands- I've noticed I lost a lot of money with A9 (which is normal) and I get often in very tough spots (mainly because of kicker issue), things that are very easy to solve by just folding preflop... nowadays I don't make the mistake of overplaying this 'trash hand' as often, but I still do it way more than I should, especially in fun/low buy-in games...

bowserdon · Monday at 2:46 PM

PLaying small pairs too long,and overbettin AK

john_entony · Monday at 3:43 PM

I get too emotional after bad beats. But that’s not the only poker mistake I keep making.

I constantly feel like people are bluffing against me, both on the board and preflop. I’m working on my mistakes, but I haven’t managed to get rid of them yet. But I’m trying.

burro · Monday at 3:45 PM

Mine is betting on almost every flop after I raise the pre-flop.
Sometimes I place a continuation bet (c-bet) automatically, without stopping to think about whether the board really favors my hand or my range of hands.

Toruk Makto · Monday at 4:06 PM

Playing your own poker! Rsrs

vedo · Tuesday at 11:11 AM

I lose patience and overplay my hands

ninocabral · Tuesday at 8:14 PM

I pay a lot of money believing that the villain has nothing, this is something I have to change

SergioV · Wednesday at 2:16 AM

Bakti213 said:
No matter how much we study, I think every player has that one mistake that keeps coming back.
For me, it’s sometimes getting too curious in big pots and making calls I already know are probably losing calls.
Other times it might be playing too many hands when bored, bluffing the wrong opponent, or not quitting when focus drops.
Poker is weird because even when you know the right play, it’s not always easy to make it in the moment.
What’s the one leak or mistake you still struggle with the most in your game?

One mistake I still struggle with sometimes is being too patient and waiting too long for perfect spots, especially in tournaments with fast blinds. Sometimes you need to take more risks and stay active before the stack becomes too short. Even when you know it logically, it can still be hard to do in the moment.

DiazPoker3101 · Wednesday at 7:36 AM

I think it's confirmation bias; I always overestimate hands that I shouldn't pay, but my head and my whole being tell me to pay, and that's what I end up doing.

Mag_P1e · Wednesday at 8:39 AM

I continue to make a call on the river, although I have long ago become convinced that there are no bluffs there.🤷‍♂️

Jillychemung · Wednesday at 11:19 AM

For me it's hero calls. I'll have the 2nd best hand and convince myself that the villain just cannot have the best hand. Been getting better but it still pops up from time to time.

Rosemaryyy · Wednesday at 12:23 PM

Bakti213 said:
No matter how much we study, I think every player has that one mistake that keeps coming back.
For me, it’s sometimes getting too curious in big pots and making calls I already know are probably losing calls.
Other times it might be playing too many hands when bored, bluffing the wrong opponent, or not quitting when focus drops.
Poker is weird because even when you know the right play, it’s not always easy to make it in the moment.
What’s the one leak or mistake you still struggle with the most in your game?

For me, it’s probably continuing to play when my focus is already fading. At first it feels manageable, but little by little the discipline slips — defending too wide, making emotional hero calls, or forcing bluffs in spots that don’t really need them.
And you’re right, that’s what makes poker so difficult. Knowing the correct play away from the table is one thing, but actually executing it consistently in real time is a completely different challenge.

Bakti213 · Wednesday at 12:28 PM

Rosemaryyy said:
For me, it’s probably continuing to play when my focus is already fading. At first it feels manageable, but little by little the discipline slips — defending too wide, making emotional hero calls, or forcing bluffs in spots that don’t really need them.
And you’re right, that’s what makes poker so difficult. Knowing the correct play away from the table is one thing, but actually executing it consistently in real time is a completely different challenge.

That’s actually one of the biggest leaks in poker.
Most mistakes don’t come from not knowing strategy — they come from trying to keep playing once mental fatigue starts taking over.
When focus drops, emotions quietly replace logic. Suddenly every spot feels personal, every bluff feels necessary, and every call feels “too weak” to fold. That’s usually when bankroll damage happens.
The hard part of poker isn’t learning good decisions.
It’s having the discipline to still make them after hours of pressure, variance, and frustration.

BrunoFabri01 · Wednesday at 3:12 PM

I know it's wrong, but one flaw I have is wanting to play every hand.

Chebchoub · Wednesday at 6:05 PM

Hi

For poker, I think the most important thing is to respect and apply the bankroll rules.
For me, I always choose tournaments, where I can use satellites to play good and valuable tournaments, in addition, and most importantly, I see this as an important experience, and gaining another level of experience.

Hospedar · Wednesday at 6:12 PM

Sometimes I pay too much, sometimes I fold too much...

And sometimes I'm even too much agressive against calling station players.

I think this happens because I'm not studying poker for a while, so I'm usually seeing myself being confused about what decision should I take at the tables. Anyway, I need to take back my poker studies again soon...

Shooter74 · Wednesday at 9:55 PM

Mistakes and hasty decisions... sometimes a little patience is lacking.

What’s the One Poker Mistake You Keep Repeating?

Bakti213

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Mazembe

Rock Star

Bakti213

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Emily Trott

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tuitui

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veszmo

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KHaled0123000

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bremp555

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BillyR23

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bowserdon

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john_entony

feed the Fox

burro

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Toruk Makto

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vedo

Rising Star

ninocabral

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SergioV

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DiazPoker3101

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Mag_P1e

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Jillychemung

Flying on Asphalt

Rosemaryyy

Rising Star

Bakti213

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BrunoFabri01

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Chebchoub

Poker is one of life's mysteries

Hospedar

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Shooter74

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