Many novice players blindly believe that the major factor which determines success in poker is luck, and this is the biggest mistake they make. Although a bit of luck certainly will never hurt, the victory is undoubtedly determined by the player’s level of skills and knowledge. To ensure making profits and prevent yourself from losing a massive pile of chips at the game table, you need to learn how to avoid making these 5 offline poker mistakes –

Start playing with the wrong approach

New players are primarily influenced by poker on TV or other media. They do not realize that 80% -90% of the poker games they are watching has been edited. They often forget the fact that without high enough skills, playing and winning such a large number of hands are merely impossible.

First of all, at the beginning of a game, you should play mainly top combinations (pairs from AA to 77 and also AK and AQ). During the game, you have to keep in mind the poker math. The point here is to know what number of cards (outs) can still come to you to make your hand the winning one.

Forgetting about the breaks

If you lose the game along with a significant amount of money, that in your opinion you should have won, this is a signal to leave the offline poker table for some time. It does not mean that you have to finish your game and go home. We suggest that you will benefit if you go to take a breath of fresh air, eat or drink something. It is essential to take a break and do not take reckless retaliation on the table if you don’t want to end up losing your precious chip stack.

Being too stubborn

When playing, do not be stubborn. Do not wait for the winning card, because it can lead to the loss of a significant number of chips. Many beginners mindlessly wait for a solid starting hand, which often does not turn out as a favorable one. Being stubborn can lead the player to victory in the game once or twice, but certainly not in the long run.

Not knowing what is going on at the table

Another major offline poker mistake is not knowing the strength of the cards you have in your hands. It may seem obvious, but sometimes even intermediate players miss out here. If, for example, you have a good QQ pair before the flop, the situation fluctuates after the flop of K, 2, A. The probability of getting a  Q at turn or river is about 8%. There is also a possibility that your opponent is holding an AA or KK pair. If they have two cards of the same suit on their wrist, then the probability that after the flop come two cards of “their” color is about 11%, and even if it happens, it does not prejudge their winning.

Problems with adaptation

In Reality, the main factors that determine your winning possibilities are your acumen and experience.  This means being able to adapt to a given situation using what you have learned instead of being stubborn. A serious offline poker mistake that many beginners make takes place just before the flop. They only equalize instead of raising and playing aggressively. If you only raise when you have good cards on your hands, experienced players will quickly figure out your strategy and beat you mercilessly.

People are fallible creatures and it’s natural to make mistakes. However, to ensure making them as few as possible on the poker table, you need to constantly work on improving your game knowledge and skills. Always remember that winning against an opponent with a similar or higher level of skills doesn’t mean that you have mastered the game. Remain humble and keep learning. This is the only way to achieve true success in poker.