It’s harder to unlearn something than it is to learn something. For this reason it is very important to develop good poker habits as early as possible.

I learned an annoying habit early in my poker career and it took me a little while before I noticed it. I have begun to address it, but I’m sure it has cost me quite a bit of money over the years. I have always known that it is important to focus on my hand, and also try to figure out my opponents hand based on his actions. However, if you are devoting all of your thinking to trying to figure out your opponent’s hand then you are missing a key component to winning poker.

You must devote a large portion (definitely the larger portion) of your thought to trying to put your opponent on your hand, but you must never act instinctively/ instantly when you have decided what hand or range of hands your opponent has. I sometimes feel compelled to act instantly whenever I decide that I am beat, or that I am ahead. However it’s important to consider the hand as it has come down, and ask yourself “what play makes me the most money in the long run, given the range of hands I put my opponent on?”   Essentially you must think about HOW to act once you put your opponent on a hand. The obvious play may not be the best play. Often times I have folded when I knew I could beat nothing, even though the hand was played in such a way that I also knew that my opponent had nothing. However I checked quickly and without even considering an aggressive play, one that would almost surely win the pot. This is a bad habit to have, but it’s one that is easily developed especially in small buyin cash games as tight is right in these types of games.

Split your thought between these two processes: putting your opponent on a hand, and asking yourself what action will make me the most money given the hand I think my opponent has. Take your time when it is your action! It’s always a good idea to take your time even if you know what you are going to do. Make it part of your poker routine to ask yourself “if I know I am beat here, is it best to fold or can I make my opponent fold?” In fact many players find it beneficial to ask themselves a series of questions in every single hand they’re involved in. For more on this see my article entitled the Poker Script.