David Morey 
The basics of poker are easy enough to learn, which means a newcomer can be up, running, and playing within a matter of hours. Alas, there’s a big difference between understanding how to play and succeeding at the table. Poker is one of the world’s most popular games, with an estimated 100 million players, and playing standards can be pretty high.
While there’ll always be a learning curve for new poker players, how long that learning curve lasts is within your control. For instance, you’ll find it much easier to reach a decent level if you avoid the common mistakes that newcomers tend to make, such as the ones that we’ll outline below.
Playing Every Hand
We get it — if you’re sitting down to play poker, then you’ll want to, well, actually play. That’s what you’d do with most games, after all. But poker is not like most games. When you’re sitting at a virtual or real-world poker table, you’ll not play more hands than you do play. There’s no hard and fast rule about what percentage of hands you should play since it is fully dependent on what cards you receive. However, it’s generally accepted that newcomers should play around 15 – 25% of their hands.
….Or Not Enough
With that being said, sometimes newcomers have the opposite problem — they don’t play enough. While you can — and should — study poker, remember that the best way to learn is by actually playing. It’s unlikely that a newcomer will feel supremely confident at the table when they’re just starting out, but there’s little value in being overly timid. If you find that you’re being overly cautious, stick to the 15 – 25% rule that we mentioned above.
Playing With the Same People All the Time
You can learn the basics with your friends, but at some point, you’ll need to play against other opponents. As with most competitive games, you’ll progress more quickly if you’re playing against players with a variety of skills and strategies.
Finding other players to play against couldn’t be easier in the digital age, since most people play online anyway. You might also check to see if there are any poker groups in your local area since it can be a good idea to mix online with real-world play.
Committing to the First Poker Variant You Come Across
People discuss poker as if it’s a single game, but that’s not really the case. ‘Poker’ is really an umbrella term for a number of different variants. It’s recommended that newcomers familiarize themselves with the most popular poker variants so that they can learn which one is most suitable for them. Most people start their poker journey by playing Texas Hold’em, which is the most commonly played variant, but many websites also offer Omaha poker, Seven Card Stud, and other poker styles. Even if a player loves Texas Hold’em, it’s usually best to mix things up and play a different variant, since it’ll help to improve their all-around poker play.
Sticking to a Single Strategy
It’s recommended that newcomers research and use a poker strategy. However, it’s not recommended that players become overly reliant on a single strategy. The best players make a habit of studying new poker strategies since it’s always best to have a few different approaches to call upon.
Playing Too Long
People often believe that, since poker is played sitting down, that it’s possible to play for many hours at a time. However, while a player is unlikely to become physically tired playing poker, they will become mentally tired.
After all, poker demands focus and concentration, and since humans are not machines, that’s not something that you have in endless supply – though eating healthy, drinking water, and meditation can all help. The longer you play, the more tired you will become, and, at that point, it’s inevitable that your performance levels begin to dip. If you feel that your mental energy levels are slowing down, then take a break — poker will still be there when you’re fully refreshed.
