Big Poker Mistakes...

Being a beginner at anything invariably means that you'll make a few mistakes. And though it's good to learn from them, this quick look at some of the more common ones will help you avoid some of the pitfalls as your poker career takes off!

Your individual hand strength isn't important - it's how strong it is against your opponents that matters. Don't just assume you've got the best hand - look at what's on the board and judge the likelihood that someone has a better hand. For example: You hold the Ace of Clubs and Ace of Hearts, but on the table is Ace of Spades, 10 of Spades, 2 of Spades, 4 of Hearts and 6 of Spades.

There are four Spades on the board, consider the chance that someone else in the pot holds a fifth Spade, thereby beating your three Aces. It's important not to fall in love with your own hand!

When you're a beginner or an intermediate player don't over stretch yourself by trying to bounce around too many types of games. Going from Limit to No-Limit, Cash to Tournaments, Texas Hold'em to Omaha will not make you an all round better player, just an average player at each. Concentrate on one and excel at it before playing different types of poker.

Also stick to one cash level, games played at the 5c/10c level are generally looser than games at the 25c/50c level. You'll find games tend to tighten up the higher up the stakes you go. Find a level that suits you and stick to it before moving up the stakes gradually.

If you always bet and play the same way, other players will pick up on this and use it against you. Mix up your style to throw people off your true intentions and try to play against a wide range of people to avoid meeting the same opponents over and over.

Although luck is only a small factor in the way you play and win poker, at multi-table tournaments you tend to need it a bit more. Most sites that offer multi-table tourneys will often have more than 300 people playing in them, some even in the thousands. The luck factor is enormous and large portions of the prize pool are dependant on a few coin flip hands. It's hard to consistently win money and develop the skills you need for the smaller tables.

Whether you're a good, bad or indifferent player, you still need to keep track of your wins and losses. This will not only help you financially but it will also provide useful information about the type of games that you perform better at, thereby allowing you to concentrate on games that provide you with a better return. There are a number of poker software packages that can help you with this - click here.