Put simply, skill is the ability to carry out a task without making mistakes. Although there is a certain amount of luck involved in poker, the skilled player will win out in the long run. The skilled poker player is the one who makes the fewest mistakes. In poker you will win more money from your opponent’s mistakes, than you will from your own "fancy play." Conversely, you will lose more money if you are the one making the mistakes. Players make mistakes, whether they are playing online or live in a card room; however, there are some mistakes that are more prevalent in online play. Here are four common online poker mistakes.

Playing too many hands is the most common mistake made by losing poker players. Many of these players crave the action and want to play as many hands as possible. Other players just don’t have the discipline to wait for a strong starting hand. This is a problem regardless whether you are playing online or in a brick and mortar card room. The major difference is that when you are playing online you are going to see almost three times as many hands per hour than you would if you were playing in the card room. This means that the player who does not have the discipline to be selective, will be playing many more hands and losing at a faster rate.

Greed has been the downfall of many gamblers and business people. They make some money and they want more. Many online poker players who find success will sooner or later conclude that they can make even more money if they play multiple games at a time. Most of these players find just the opposite when they end up losing. There are several reasons for this. When you are playing winning poker you are paying attention to the other players at the table to get a read on them. If you are at a single table you only have eight or nine players to deal with. You will have twice as many when you play two tables and because online play moves so fast you will not have the opportunity to properly study the players.

Having a big hand at one table can distract you from your other tables. It can be so distracting that you could fold a big hand at the other tables because you weren’t even paying attention. This can also happen when the screen for the active table with a good hand pops up just as you are clicking the fold button on different table. I know. I have folded pocket aces several times when playing multiple tables on a small monitor. If you are an experienced player and you decide to play multiple tables, make sure you have dual monitors, or one big enough to display the tables side by side.

Playing winning poker requires giving the game your complete attention. You need to watch the other players to see the hands that they are showing down. When you are playing online you want to study the betting patterns of the other players. You cannot give the game the attention it deserves when you are distracted. It is easy enough to get distracted in a live poker room, but there are many more distractions when you are playing online. Many players I know will set up their laptops in the living room so they can watch television while they play. Many online players may decide it is a good time to check e-mail, talk on the phone or read in between hands instead of paying attention to the game. If you are serious about winning money playing online poker you should try do everything you can to get rid of the distractions. Shut off the television, turn off your phone, and clear your desk of anything that may distract you.

I have seen a few intoxicated players in the card room; however, most players will limit the amount they drink if they have to drive home. There are a lot more intoxicated players online who are sitting home having a few cocktails while they are playing. It is never a good idea to drink alcohol when you are playing poker, even if you are sitting in your own home.

These four mistakes account for the majority of money lost by online players. They all have one thing in common. They are easy to avoid if you have a little discipline. Just remember to treat online poker for what it is; an opportunity to win money by avoiding mistakes. It does not matter if you are playing at home or in the card room. You should play the same way.