Five Creative Ways to Lose in Texas Hold 'em

Let's face it. Today's Internet is virtually flooded with all sorts of online poker room and casino information portals seeking to advise players on how to win different poker games, from the widely popular Texas Hold 'em to the more rarely-played 5-Card Stud. Although most of the strategic tips offered to players are indeed very useful and, if implemented correctly ,might actually lead to nabbing some fat jackpots, they can not turn poker amateurs into poker pros.

Acknowledging this unfortunate weakness, we have decided to go the other way around. Instead of bringing you the most efficient winning tips, we have listed several of the most creative ways to lose in a Texas Hold 'em game. The logic behind our decision is really simple: if we can't make you a pro, at least we can save you from becoming a total loser!

So here goes our list of five of the most senseless (to say the least) things you can do to lose in a poker game:

1. Playing any hand. Poker amateurs and beginners oftentimes tend to ignore their hands' value. Apparently, staying in the hand is much more important to them than actually winning the games they play. This is the shortest way towards failure. A good poker player is always aware of his hand's relative strength and if the hand is hopelessly and irremediably weak from the very beginning it must certainly be folded at once. This is a major and the most basic rule of a thumb in any version of poker.

2. Not recognizing failure. This is yet another mistake poker beginners typically commit. There are times when you know that you've been practically beat, so why humiliate yourself even further? If you stay in the game despite the fact that you are obviously losing, you can cause irreparable damage to your wallet and sometimes even to your reputation. There are circumstances in which it is much more honorable and smarter to fold your hand and wait until Lady Luck is back by your side!

3. Ignoring poker math. Whether or not we are willing to accept it, poker involves math. Although it does not mean that successful poker players are rocket scientists in terms of their math skills, they are indeed required to have some basic knowledge in certain mathematical calculations. Take for instance pot odds. If you don't have at least some basic understanding regarding how to use pot odds to determine the EV (expected value) of your play, you are missing out on a very important part of the game. And that's a real shame.

4. Incorrect money management. This is another major factor seasoned poker players typically pay close attention to. Managing your bankroll during the game is a poker skill of utter importance. Although smart money management is unlikely to change game odds, a wise bankroll management method will certainly help you control the money you happen to put at risk. Ignoring your bankroll will eventually turn against you.

5. Developing poor bluffing habits. Bluffing is an integral part of poker. Some consider it its very heart and soul. Interestingly enough, our attitude towards poker bluffers is ambivalent. On the one hand, bluffing is simply essential in poker as it spices up the game. On the other game we believe that bluffing is a proper winning strategy only when it does not cross certain ethical borders.

As you can see there are many obstacles standing on the way towards successful poker play. Good poker skills take time and effort to develop. Good Luck!