1. "Small suited connectors under-the-gun? Yeah, let's see a flop!" One of the worst and most expensive leaks is playing too many starting hands-especially out of position. But too many players get sucked into playing substandard hands out of boredom, frustration, or just plain lack of discipline. Do this once, maybe twice, and it isn't a big deal. Do it repeatedly and it's a great way to siphon off chips.
2. "Whoopee, I've got an ace! So what if my kicker is tiny?" Overplaying weak aces is another common leak, particularly when they're suited. If another ace appears on the flop, the player with the baby ace usually can't let go of the hand and winds up losing to a better kicker.
3. "My A-K completely missed the flop...this looks like a good time to call and see the next card." This leak applies to any two big overcards that whiff on the flop. And the more opponents you're up against, the worse this transgression becomes. Of course much depends on the texture of the flop-if there are any likely draws out, and if your overcards have a gutshot straight or backdoor flush draw. But if all you're drawing to is top pair against multiple opponents, your overcards probably belong in the muck.
4. "My hand is ahead right now, but my opponent is drawing to a hand that would beat me. Let's give him a cheap card." Substitute "free" for "cheap" and this leak is even more deadly.
5. "I have to make sure..." This is how calling stations are born. They always suspect a bluff, so they call off their chips with inferior hands-again and again.
6. "So what if my opponent has been calling every bet in sight? This looks like a good spot for a bluff!" It's the flip side of the last leak. It should be axiomatic that bluffs can't work against calling stations, and are likewise doomed against multiple opponents. Either way, you're getting called.
7. "The pot is huge and it's only a small amount to call for the showdown...nah, I'll pass." Pure pot odds at work. If you're going to fold your hand here, you must be very certain that you'll lose. This is one time where if there's any doubt, call.
8. "Have the game conditions changed? I hadn't really noticed." Too many people always play poker the same way, regardless of whether the game is full or shorthanded, tight or loose, passive or aggressive. A shift in any one of these conditions should be enough to alter your strategy.
9. "This is shorthanded no-limit and I do better in a full limit game ... sure, let's give it a whirl." You need to choose the game that's best-suited for your playing style. There are so many different forms of poker, favoring so many different styles of play-nobody can be a one-size-fits-all player who's wonderful at everything. Some of the top pros come close, but unless you're one of those top pros you need to figure out which form of poker you're best at and stick to it most of the time.
10. "My hand was so great before! Maybe it can still win." One bad flop, one wrong turn card, can change beautiful poker hands into expensive losers. Yes, it's very difficult to fold a hand like pocket aces. But when the communal board is full of potential flush and/or straight cards-and your opponents are screaming with their bets that they have a straight or flush-sometimes you just gotta let it go.
Barbara Connors is a sucker for classic old movies, science fiction, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Her life's ambition is to figure out the unusual behavior patterns of that unique breed of humans who call themselves poker players. Contact her at fyreflye222@yahoo.com.
