It’s a common mistake that everyone makes to a certain extent when playing poker. Learning to dismiss predetermined ideas you have every time you sit at a table may be one of the biggest obstacles for some poker players.

Here are some key things to remember when you get nice and cozy at an online poker game.

Bad assumption #1: Nobody pays attention to what I’m doing
Ha! If you catch yourself thinking this, than you need a re-cap on what the some of the main skills of poker are. If you want to play good poker you need to pay attention and to think that nobody is paying attention to you is just silly. The longer you sit at a table the more people can start to pick up on your image and people pay a lot more attention at single tables and ring games.

Bad assumption #2: Opponents are always rational players
If you are a rational player this is when this bad assumption might come in. A common mistake is to think that everyone plays like you do. Almost every table you sit at, people are going to call when they shouldn’t play hands they should muck, try to raise when they should be checking. Instead of expecting rational play, pick out the players who are irrational and increase your stack against them.

Bad assumption #3: Everyone you play against is an idiot
Ok, I know, there are lots of bad poker players, but when you sit down at a table, chances of them all being idiots is very slim. Not respecting your players can lead to bad plays, bad moves and bad calls. The key is having confidence in your game rather than thinking you can outplay your opponents.

Bad assumption #4: I am good enough to avoid variance
Sorry! Variance will hit everyone. It even hits the best players in the world. Always play within your bank roll. Convincing yourself that you don’t need to is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a poker player.

Bad assumption #5: I have a table image
In my opinion this is where online poker varies wildly from live poker. With online poker some may be playing multiple tables or may be spitting their attention with other things. Of course people are always paying attention to you, but when it comes to online games you can get away with this a little easier.