Even the most experienced players make costly cash game mistakes, often without realizing it. By identifying and fixing these common leaks, you can maximize your profits and gain a significant edge over your opponents.
Not Three-Betting Enough
This is one of the most common cash game mistakes that you see. People love seeing flops because there’s infinite potential on the flop. You could flop anything. That excitement causes many people to cold call too much.
If you have people opening too much, you can make a lot of money squeezing on them and reraising them. They’ll often fold with their mediocre hands if you size your bets appropriately pre-flop by raising to two times what’s in the middle. If a loose bad player calls you, they’ll be uncomfortable post-flop and will make several mistakes.
I was reminded of the importance of this fundamental the other night when I was playing cash. I lost a large part of my stack during a bomb pot. Over the next two hours, I did a number of squeezes and three-bets versus loose raisers who weren’t used to people taking the fight to them. They ended up folding so much pre-flop and on the flop that I made back all of my losses from that particular bad pot. This was without a showdown!
Additionally, when I finally did pick up aces, I built up some frustration at the table to capitalize on. If I was squeezing for the first time in hours, they would have all known I had a premium. However, it was much easier to get action, because people were getting annoyed and wanted to look me up.
Three-Betting Too Much
This is a rarer mistake, but many players have this leak as well. Some people hate folding. If they have anything remotely suited or connected, they’ll reraise with it just so they can play a pot.
This approach is not fantastic because oftentimes you’re building pots versus solid players with good holdings. Additionally, there’s a simple defense versus this if you overdo it.
If a good player opens, they can flat your three-bet with premiums and let you fire down with all your bluffs. It’s only one buy-in if you catch up, which won’t happen the majority of the time.
Most players who three-bet too much also refuse to fold anything post-flop because folding is boring. They get infuriated when a solid player has a good hand, like everyone else at the table knew they had. Overplaying your mediocre hands and bluffs versus nits will cause a lot of losses and is a serious cash game mistake.
Not Isolation Raising Enough
If there are limpers in your game, go after them! Look at what’s in the pot. Raise to two times that.
You’ll often get the loosest casual player to call you, while all the players with a clue will shy away from your large raise. You’ll then be playing huge pots versus the weakest players in the game. That’s a massive edge!
“But what if my opponents limped a premium?”
Luckily for you, they always give away when they have a premium, because those are the only hands they generally limp/reraise with. You can easily fold versus this play.
Isolation Raising Too Much
This is far more rare, but it happens. People get bored and they decide to start raising with 6-3s or A-2o. They go to the flop with some trickier hands and get dominated often. Soon, their frequent isolation raises start getting three-bet. They lose a tool in their toolbox an hour into the game because they overdid it.
Calling Too Many Pre-Flop Raises
If you want to instantly make more money at cash games, remember this advice:
Draw to the nuts in multi-way pots. Especially if you’re deep stacked. Don’t call with mediocre high cards that will be dominated. Don’t call with mediocre suited-gappers.
Draw to the nuts with suited-aces, suited Broadways, pocket pairs, and suited connectors. Look to make the nut flush, nut straight, or a set. Value bet and don’t be afraid to take your time figuring out what they’ll call on the river.
Don’t flop a pair multi-way and call multiple barrels. Don’t draw to the ass end of straights and mediocre flushes if huge bets are going in.
I wouldn’t have a job if my opponents followed the advice above.
Never Being Bored
Real poker waxes and wanes. You’ll have fun hours and boring hours.
How can you tell if you’re doing it wrong? If poker is exhilarating always, then you’re making a huge cash game mistake.
Of course, if you’re playing short-handed, you should be playing more pots. But if you’re playing full ring and you somehow find yourself involved more often than not, then you have an issue with playing too many hands.
The average person at a poker table can’t fold anything they’ve grown fond of. They love the feeling of chips in their hand. They find folding to be boring.
Beating those players has always been simple. Wait for a solid hand and value bet. You don’t even have to bluff to be honest. Most of them still won’t fold to you, regardless of how tight you’re playing.
Not Watching Your Opponents After You’ve Folded
After you’ve folded pre-flop, the real work begins. Look around you. The game never stops.
These are the kinds of reads you should see in one session…
This player looks like he’s constipated when he’s running a triple barrel bluff.
That player gets far chattier when he has a big hand.
This player has to work himself up into a bluff. He shuffles his chips and deliberates before he bluffs, but he puts his chips out immediately with a real hand.
That player fires the chips right at you when he wants you to call. He’s hoping he pisses you off into a call.
This player block bets rivers when he doesn’t want you to fire.
And so on…
Don’t sell yourself short. You’ll notice much more than you expect if you give yourself a chance to watch the action.
Calling The River Too Much
This is the motherload of cash game mistakes. People can’t resist seeing the other player’s hand!
Your average opponent struggles to bluff enough. Any poker coach will tell you the same thing. Teaching someone how to bluff is immensely difficult. If you’re on the fence, lean towards a fold. Chances are that your opponent doesn’t even know what they’re supposed to be bluffing with and how often they should be bluffing.
If your opponent raises the turn or river or triple barrels, that is almost always a hand. Take your time before you fold so he doesn’t get the idea he can bluff you every single time but then find the muck.
Conclusion: Cash Game Mistakes
Eliminating these common cash game mistakes will make you a tougher, more profitable player over the long run. By striking the right balance in your aggression, staying engaged even when you’re not in a hand, and making disciplined river decisions, you’ll avoid unnecessary losses and capitalize on your opponents’ weaknesses.
Just a note before I go…
I have a new deal available on lesson packages. You can get six hours of private training with me for $997. This is your chance to take your game to the next level and become the crusher everyone fears! Contact me at [email protected] for details.
Want to read more from APT Head Pro Alex Fitzgerald? Try his article about the 8 Mindset Tips to Help You Avoid Poker Tilt
