Lesson 5: Opponent observation
Always observe how other players are betting, even when you are not playing it is a must.
A common mistake, especially amongst inexperienced low-limit players, is that they will call to see the ‘flop’ with hands that they should have folded. They also play their hands long after it's clear they’re beat. In short, they play to lose.
It's rare that a beginner low-limit Hold ‘Em player will play too conservatively. More often than not they will almost always decide to call instead of fold. They want to play and it's no fun for them to fold without calling the final bet to see what you have.
The way you can tell inexperienced low-limit players from medium/high-limit players is that the latter do a lot more raising pre-flop. If the game you are in, involves an excessive amount of raising that’s a sure sign you’re up against a talented player and it's worth thinking about getting out!
Finally, always go on the assumption that your opponent is better than you until you have clear evidence to the contrary. Don't be over-confident!
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