Part of being a successful poker player is honest self evaluation and making necessary adjustments to your game.

These changes are not always about the cards you play. Your attitude and mindset are a big part of becoming a better poker player.

In this article, I’ve identified 5 huge mistakes that amateur and beginning poker players make. I’ll also share some tips on changing your mentality to avoid these mistakes.

There are certain large mistakes that amateur players (and some pros) make that not only cost them money, but also make them look childish and immature as well. You should make it your goal to eliminate these five mistakes from your own game. You’ll have more fun and be more successful as a poker player.

1) Getting mad at bad players

I’ve done it, you’ve probably done it, and everyone knows Phil Hellmuth has done it. I listened to a recent podcast with Mike Caro who spoke in great length about berating or getting angry with bad players.

I know what it’s like to lose a big pot to a bad player who hits 1 of 2 outs in the deck on the river. It’s frustrating, but you should feel complimented. That’s right; you should feel good about being outdrawn.

Any time you are consistently ahead in a hand you are going to be outdrawn by players who are chasing from time to time. Again, if you are consistently ahead, you will win money over time, but you will also get outdrawn occasionally.

When you get mad at the players who chase, you’re more prone to play less quality hands against the player to even the score. If you berate or coach (telling your opponent how he “should” have played the hand) the bad player is more likely to play better against you from now on.

Next time you’re facing a bad player that beats you, smile and say something like “nice hand, I won a big pot with k3 offsuit last week, maybe we’re on to something!”. Don’t be sarcastic and rude about it. Try to make him feel good about the play because you know, over time his mistakes will catch up with him. Remember, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

2) Going on tilt

This goes hand-in-hand with the first mistake. If you’re focused on only short-term results, you’re more likely to go on tilt when the bad players are winning and your good cards aren’t holding up.

Be smart enough to recognize when you are tilting or about to tilt and get up and take a walk, sit out a few hands, or just get up and leave. You’ll save yourself a lot more frustration and your bankroll by eliminating tilt from your game.

3) Protecting your winnings

I’m sure you’ve heard the gambler’s mantra “quit while you’re ahead”. This saying comes from the depressing feeling of being ahead one minute and then giving it all back to the casino. The same holds true for short-term poker players.

If you ever find yourself playing more conservatively to avoid “giving it back” to other players, you may be guilty of protecting your winnings. Also, if you win a few pots and try to “leave while you’re ahead” when you are a favorite to win, you’re guilty of short-sighted thinking. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re in a game where you’re a favorite, you should play as long as you are playing well.

4) Trying to “get even”

I’ve noticed myself doing this when playing live poker, not as much in online poker. I hate leaving a game I can beat and not booking a win. But this is short-sighted thinking. If you’re stuck and trying to get even you may end up playing when tired or bored, causing you to go on tilt, and compounding the problem. This causes a terrible cycle and will cause you to lose even more. Don’t do it.

5) Changing the way you play because of short term results

I hear many players say things like “I never raise AK because it never wins”. Just because you’ve lost the last 5 times you raised AK doesn’t mean that it’s incorrect to continue raising it. It’s fine to analyze your play and make changes when they are needed. It’s a bad idea to change the way you play based on short-term results.

Summing it all up

If you want to start being a better poker player you have to avoid negativity as much as possible. This includes getting angry with poor players and going on tilt. You should also strive to play good poker all the time by avoiding things such as, protecting your winnings, and chasing loses. Finally, understand that poker is very situational and that you should never get in the habit of playing a hand the same way every time based on short-term results.

You can test these suggestions for FREE at the world’s largest online poker room PokerStars. Or at one of our other recommended poker sites for US players.

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