There is no another mistake which leads to such painful consequences than refuse to fold. Actually it is very important to be ready to fold playing poker, especially No Limit Texas Holdem. Many newcomers depend on luck or just feel like they should call and lose their stake instantly. So, why do Texas Holdem players sometimes are not ready to fold at all? There are several factors of this mistake.

Poker Ego

Everybody likes to win, it is a fair statement. And most beginners want to start winning instantly. Sometimes they start to have a poker ego. Therefore poker ego becomes one of the main reasons of defeats. Of course everyone wants to leave Texas Holdem poker table taking money home. And this desire start to generate a dangerous rule: ”I will not let any other player beat me”. And poker ego cannot stand folding making it almost impossible to fold at all. Especially if an opponent uses bluff.

Generally, people tend to overestimate their abilities and skills. You can add evidence of this just looking at drivers. Every single driver thinks that he steers a steering wheel perfectly. And every driver occupies left line of the road thinking that he drivers faster than others. Project this thinking to Texas Holdem poker and you will see that most players don’t consider their selves beginners after several games. Moreover if a Texas Holdem player has read a few books he calls himself a poker specialist. And if a person thinks this way it brings destructive false pride. As I said, nobody wants to lose. And Texas Holdem players with poker ego don’t like to think that they are being outclassed. Finally a player will believe that his opponent tries to outwit him using bluff and placing big bets. Which means that a poker ego will force a player to call all the time.

Unwillingness to give away bank

When Phil Hellmuth plays Texas Holdem poker, Phil Hellmuth folds even good cards with big pots. It is very difficult to fold when you see a big pot. It is true that newcomers loose their minds seeing dozens of chips. They just don’t fold at all if there are many chips in pot. And good pocket cards become a burden to newcomers.

George McKeever clearly showed a difference between Texas Holdem pro and a newcomer at ME WSOP 1999. He put 90 % of his chips and folded at the river shocking fans. Most pundits blamed George saying that he had to finish the hand because he placed almost all his chips.

But McKeever stormed out the accusations. He said that it is stupid to finish a hand if you are going to lose. Despite this disaster, George made a superb comeback creating new stake and finished 7th. And he proved that he was right.

Therefore, size of pot is not important at all if you cannot win the hand. It doesn’t matter how strong your cards look. There are many situations when it would be better to fold and wait for more suitable situation to put your money in a pot. So, just don’t forget to fold and avoid painful defeats.

Also recommended:

1. Make Bigger Raises Against Players Who Fold Too Much Postflop
2. Expected Value and Fold Equity Explained
3. When Bigger Bluff Sizes Will Fold More Hands
4. Know When to Fold in Fixed Limit Texas Holdem
5. Bankroll is the basis of success in Texas Holdem poker