You think you’re a pretty good poker player? If any these 10 things sound like you, then you’re probably not.

1. Playing too many hands: This is the No. 1 sin for new poker players. Hand selection is key for winning poker. The old phrase goes you can’t win if you don’t play, but for beginners it really should say you can’t lose if you don’t play.
2. Showing your cards: If you can leave your opponents guessing as to what you had, DO IT! Don’t give away your poker skills (if you have any) by showing them to the rest of the table. Don’t give any more information then you need to.
3. Playing distracted: If you’re going to play poker then play poker. Don’t watch the game, or listen to your new CD, or play a few hands during class. Focus on the game or say good-bye to your money.
4. Chasing bad draws: Don’t go after that one card to the nuts just because if you hit it you’ll win a huge pot. Guess what? When you don’t hit it you’re handing money away over and over.
5. Not following pot odds: This is almost the same as No. 4 but unlike common sense, you can actually learn pot odds. Do yourself – and your wallet – a favor by learning and implementing them.
6. Playing over their heads: Too many players have lost their bankroll because they think the big-money tables are where they need to be. Start at the cheap tables and once you’re dominating them move up to higher stakes. Playing higher stakes too early will simply clean you out faster.
7. Calling too much: Don’t be a calling station. If you call more often than you raise or fold, your game has a big hole in it. Fill that hole.
8. Overvaluing Aces: The Ace isn’t the be-all-and-end-all card. Just because you have an Ace in your hole cards doesn’t make them worth playing every time.
9. Too much bluffing: I blame TV poker for this. All the pros making their big bluffs have made bluffing the next big thing. Bluffing is only the right thing to do in certain situations. Learn these situations and use the tactic of bluffing to make money, not lose it.
10. Thinking they’re the best: There are so, so, so many awful poker players out there that think they can beat anyone. They couldn’t beat a real poker pro if the pro was blindfolded the entire time. The first step to becoming a good poker player is to admit how much you suck.