If you’re throwing money away at the online poker tables, you’re probably making one of these 5 mistakes. The good news is that you can fix a lot of this stuff if you’re willing to admit you might not be the best player in the world.
Ha, I don’t mean to hurt your ego, but we all think we are the best player when the reality is we probably have leaks we need to work on to improve and hopefully move up in stakes at some point. Let’s start fixing them, starting with playing too many hands.
Playing Too Many Hands
Usually when I’m in a session, I sometimes play a hand or two I shouldn’t out of boredom. Don’t do that. For the most part you want to play a tight aggressive style from early position with all your premium hands and then open up wider with hands like J8 suited from the button when everyone folds around to you.
If you’re unsure of the correct hands to play based on your position the easiest thing to do is look up a GTO chart which can explain this more thoroughly. Once you understand the concepts of GTO and what hands to play based on where you’re sitting at the table, a lot of this becomes automatic.
Ignoring Position
Position is one of the biggest advantages you can have playing poker, yet most players completely overlook it. Position refers to where you are sitting relative to the dealer button, which determines when you act in a hand. Being in a late position (like the cutoff or button) allows you to see what your opponents do before making your decision—giving you a massive edge.
You can exploit weaker players by playing more hands in late position and applying pressure when they show weakness. On the opposite side of things, playing too many hands from early position puts you at a disadvantage since you’re acting without information.
If you want to stop losing, focus on this one adjustment: play tight in early position and aggressive in late position. This simple shift alone can dramatically improve your results over time.
Chasing Losses (Tilt)
This is a big one. I’ve struggled with this myself, but this only becomes dangerous when you start thinking short term. In my late 20’s, early 30’s I started to look at poker as more of a long-term endeavor where even if I had a bad day or week, I wouldn’t let it shake me from what I was trying to accomplish. And what I was trying to accomplish was making this something I could consistently make money from.
Eventually I got to that point, but it would have never been that way if I tilted off multiple buy ins after taking a bad beat. The thing is you need to become numb to the bad beats and learn to play through them which is easier said than done. I do believe anyone can get there you just need to work on yourself and want to improve. If someone was to ask me how to be successful, I would tell them its 50% mental and 50% strategy. The mental part of this game is critical to being successful.
Playing Without a Strategy
One of the biggest reasons players keep losing at online poker is because they sit down and just “wing it.” And that’s not a strategy. They play whatever feels right in the moment instead of following any kind of structured plan. That might work for a few hands, but over time it leads to inconsistent decisions and costly mistakes.
Playing with a strategy doesn’t mean you need to be a pro or memorize complicated charts. It just means having a clear idea of what hands you’re playing, how you’re playing them, and why. For example, knowing when to raise instead of call, when to continuation bet, and when to fold even if you’ve already put money in the pot.
Without a strategy, you’re reacting to the table. With a strategy, you’re controlling how you play regardless of what others do. That consistency is what separates winning players from losing ones. As you move up in stakes you do have to deviate a bit and learn to bluff more in different spots, but in general having a strategy before you get into a session is the best approach.
Not Reviewing Your Hands
One of the most overlooked mistakes in online poker is never taking the time to review your hands after a session. Most players finish playing and immediately move on, missing huge opportunities to learn from their mistakes.
If you’re not reviewing hands, you’re basically repeating the same leaks again without realizing it. Spots where you lost big pots, questionable calls, or missed value bets are all chances to improve—but only if you look back at them.
Winning players make it a habit to go through key hands, especially the ones they’re unsure about. Even spending 10–15 minutes reviewing a few hands can help you spot patterns in your game, like calling too wide or bluffing in the wrong spots. I like to look at an entire session especially when I lose or felt like I’ve played badly. This helps me figure out any leaks I might be dealing with or if I just played poorly in that session.
Where To Play?
If you’re serious about online poker my top site has been Ignition for a while. They have lots of player traffic around 10,000 plus players at peak times. The games are also soft at most stakes that it’s not hard to get an edge even if you might be a bit rusty. I could drag on about them, but I’ve made a lot of money playing mid stakes here for years. You can see my full review on them here.
Final Thoughts
Online poker can be a brutal unforgiving game if you’re not prepared for the eventual ups and downs that come with playing it. But it’s also an activity that can lead to serious financial gain the better you get at it. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs playing it, but eventually I put myself on the right path after banging my head against the wall re depositing so many times over.
It’s funny I feel the only real way to learn anything in life is to fail at it again until something finally clicks. And that’s exactly what can happen with online poker if you want it bad enough. You just must quit making a lot of the same mistakes and persevere through the bad beats that will tilt most players. Become numb to the madness and try to look at the bigger picture. And the bigger picture is long-term thinking combined with small improvements that can eventually make you an unstoppable force at the table. Keep grinding and don’t quit. Also, if you’re looking for an awesome poker bonus to get started this is my favorite site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I keep losing at online poker even when I have good hands?
Losing with good hands usually comes down to overplaying them or not considering position and opponent tendencies. Poker isn’t just about your cards—it’s about how they compare to your opponent’s range.
How can beginners stop losing money in online poker fast?
The quickest way to stop losing is to tighten up your starting hands, avoid tilt, and stick to low-stakes games. Focus on making fewer mistakes instead of trying to win big pots.
What is the biggest mistake online poker players make?
One of the biggest mistakes is playing too many hands and not folding enough. This leads to tough decisions later in the hand and unnecessary losses.
Can you actually win consistently at online poker?
Yes, but it requires discipline, strategy, and game selection. Many players still win by targeting softer games and avoiding tough competition.
What stakes should I play to stop losing at poker online?
Stick to stakes where you have at least 20–50 buy-ins. This helps protect your bankroll and reduces pressure, allowing you to make better decisions.
Edward Pao is an online poker and casino affiliate marketer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has referred over 30,000 players to major poker platforms and specializes in reviewing the best online poker sites and casino bonuses.