WATCH: PokerStars' Top 5 Poker Mistakes
Even the best poker players make bad reads or bad decisions they need to learn from.
These five memorable mistakes, courtesy of PokerStars, remind us that everyone is human.
Lesson #5 – Pay Attention
In the 2010 EPT Barcelona Main Event, Giuseppe Pantaleo (J♦8♠) and Jesús Cortes Lizano (J♥10♥) went to a flop of 2♣Q♠6♣. Both checked, and the turn revealed the Q♣.
Lizano bet 230,000. Pantaleo decided to float with his jack-high, and the 2♥ completed the board, giving both players the same hand: queens and deuces with a jack kicker.
Lizano bet again and Pantaleo raised to 790,000. Lizano called quickly and Pantaleo mucked, forfeiting the chopped pot.
Lesson #4 – Get Out of Your Head
On the bubble of the 2014 EPT 100 Barcelona Main Event, Niall Farrell (A♣J♥) was up against Benjamin Lamprecht (9♠9♦) and Ollie Price (J♠8♦).
The flop brought 9♥3♦4♠, giving Lamprecht top set. He checked. Price bet 13,500. Farrell called. Lamprecht raised to 36,500. Price folded and Farrell called.
The turn revealed an eight and Lamprecht decided to go all in for 67,500. Farrell went into the tank with only ace-high and opted to make a thin call. Unfortunately for Farrell, he was drawing dead.
Lesson #3 – Don’t Try This
During the EPT 11 Barcelona Super High Roller in 2014, Martin Jacobson was up against Erik Seidel and Dan Colman.
Going three-way to the flop, Jacobson held A♣7♠ and Colman held 4♥4♠. The flop revealed the 4♣, making a set for Colman. Instead of checking, Jacobson bet 77,000; Colman called and Seidel folded.
The turn revealed the 10♦. Jacobson led again for 155,000. Colman again called. The final card was the K♥, securing the hand for Colman. Jacobson fired a third barrel by moving all in and Colman called with his winning set.
“That was a gift,” said Colman as Jacobson made his way to the exit.
Lesson #2 – Check the Rules
In Barcelona in 2012, Mikalai Pobal (A♥9♥) and Joni Jouhkimainen (K♠9♠) saw a flop of 4♥6♦K♥.
Pobal bet 450,000 with the nut flush draw and Jouhkimainen called with his top pair. Both players checked the 3♦, and the 7♥ on the river gave Pobal the nut flush. Jouhkimainen checked, and Pobal checked behind!
An embarrassed Pobal got a one-orbit penalty because rules state that players must bet the river if they are holding the nuts.
Lesson #1 – Don’t Fear the King
You've probably seen this one before. On Poker After Dark, Jennifer Tilly raised the button to $1,200 with J♦J♣ and Patrik Antonius called out of the small blind with 10♥8♥. Jennifer Harman folded.
The 10♠J♣7♣ flop gave Tilly top set. Tilly bet $2,000. Antonius called. Both checked after a K♠ on the turn. The K♣ on the river gave Tilly a nearly unbeatable full house, but after Antonius checked, Tilly checked decided to check behind.
"I thought you had pocket kings," Tilly told Antonius. The reactions from the players at the table speak for themselves. Poor Jen would get trolled on poker forums about this hand for years.
