Playing Texas Holdem poker tournaments is not an easy task. You have to be able to keep your chips and protect your stake from the others. Many players do not realize it and risk too often. Therefore let me tell you about five biggest mistakes of Texas Holdem tournament. And as soon as you aware of the mistakes you will be able to avoid them

1. Frequent use of continuation bet

Big tournament consists of hundreds hands. And of course it is impossible to play all the hands. You have to fold sometimes. In many cases the flop does not bring needed cards and you have several ways in such situations. One option is to fold. Another option is continuation bet. Continuation bet is an effective tool but the risk is very high. And if your bluff doesn’t work you are going to lose many chips. And one more important thing. Size of your bets and raises should not be too huge. What do I mean saying huge ? 2/3 of pot is huge . Keep your stake . Do not waste chips using contbet too often.

2. Outclassing strong pocket cards before the flop

Let’s have a look at the example. You are in position with AK. A guy with big stake raises by the size of 4 big blinds. You take a small pause and say that you are all-in. He calls your re-raise and shows QQ. And in several seconds you have to leave the table. So, do you believe me now that such behavior is th mistake. And the big mistake. There should not be any rush ! You should better have a look at the flop.

But there is a question how to behave in this situation? I think re-raise is the best option. If your opponent calls you will see the flop and will have the advantage of the last word. And if the opponent says all-in, you should definitely fold. And of course you should not be all-in before the flop with J-J! Your chances in this case are pretty small. Do not forget that Texas Holdem poker is the game which requires thinking and skills. It is not a Russian roulette.

3. Using the same strategy all the time

In the beginning of a tournament it is fine to call a raise having 6-7 of the same suit. But when the limits are high such strategy is too expensive. Basically you have to understand that new conditions of the game do not let you use the same strategy. You should be more selective when blinds become more expensive. Try to call raises only when you have strong cards. Even low pocket pairs (4-4, 3-3 etc.) are not suitable for calls when limits are high.

4. Lack of aggression against blinds

The further you go into the tournament the more aggressive you should behave. Tight Texas Holdem style is ideal for the beginning. But then you should try to steal blinds. Just remember that if you are too passive you will lose your chips instantly.

5. Calls with drawing hands

This mistake is very common . Many players are ready to chase a flush or a straight until the very end. They are not afraid of calling raises and even re-raises. But this approach is too expensive. Of course sometimes it works generating good profits. But remember to calculate your odds. If you want to complete straight and need just one card your chances are extremely small (roughly, 22 %). And if we are talking about flush and the flop brings you two cards of the same suit like your pocket cards your chances are still small. Roughly, around 37 %. And of course such odds are too small to chase the pot.

Therefore just remember the typical mistakes and avoid them. Winning in Texas Holdem is not so difficult if you use sophisticated approach.

Also recommended:

1. How Good the Players Exploit the Common Holdem Mistakes
2. DO NOTS of Texas Holdem tournaments: part 1
3. Frequent mistakes of Texas Holdem players
4. Five typical mistakes of Texas Holdem poker beginners
5. Double or Nothing tournament is a perfect beginning