Donna Kamal | Last updated on: January 10th, 2025
Poker is a very popular game that has been around for years. Naturally, poker myths have formed over the years about the game’s nature and how to ensure you have the best chances of winning.
Some myths make sense when looked at within the context they were formed, but some are just downright dumb and illogical.
Below we go through some of the most common poker myths out there. Read on – and who knows? We may bust some fallacies you may have believed in!
Top Rated Online Poker Sites
5,000 AUD + 75 Free Spins
Our Score
- Real Money Online Pokies
- Best Online Casino in Australia
- 99% Win Rate
AU$3,650 Match Bonus
Our Score
- New Online Casino Australia
- Top choice for Aussie players
- 98% Win Rate
10,000 AUD + 200 Free Spins
Our Score
- No Deposit Bonus
- Aussies’ Top Pick for Gaming
- 99% Win Rate
17,000 AUD + 250 Free Spins
Our Score
- Online Casino Australia
- Best Online Pokies 2025
- 98% Win Rate
A$8,000 + 500 Free Spins
Our Score
- Aussie Pokies Online
- Great Welcome Bonus
- 98% Win Rate
AU$12,300 + 100 Free Spins
Our Score
- Top Casino Site 2025
- Australian Online Casino
- 99% Win Rate
AU$5,000 + 300 Free Spins
Our Score
- Aussie Online Casino
- Online Slots Australia
- 98% Win Rate
$7,500 + 100 Free Spins
Our Score
- Free spins bonuses
- AUD Casino
- 99% Win Rate
10,500$ + 550 Free Spins
Our Score
- Free spins bonuses
- Aussie Pokies Online
- 98% Win Rate
100% up to $AU1,500
Our Score
- Great Welcome Bonus
- Aussie Pokies Online
- 98% Win Rate
Top 10 Poker Myths
1. Poker is a Game of Luck
Tons of players make the mistake of thinking that poker is solely a game of chance. But this is not true – poker is a game influenced by both luck and skill. Your ability to mislead other players, keep hitting on the right hand and know when to abandon hands strategically all impact your success.
Poker is an entirely different game from other chance-based casino games. For example, in slots, you are entirely subject to the will of random number generator (RNG) algorithms. The strategy has almost no effect on the outcome of a slot game – the truth is, you can’t really have a strategy.
2. Online Poker is Rigged
Online poker is not rigged. Loads of players think these games are rigged because they struggle to win, but this is not true. Trusted online casinos are frequently tested for fairness by independent third parties. This means you can check if a casino offers games with a fair RNG algorithm.
Your inability to win is not a sign that a game is automatically rigged. Rather it is a sign that you should be altering your strategy. In fact, due to the way developers have to set up rules, we think online poker could actually be easier to win than regular poker if you learn how the rules work.
3. You Lose More Often When You Play Online
Theoretically, most players do lose more hands online. However, this isn’t because the game is rigged or harder to beat. Rather it’s because most players play more hands in a shorter time than in real life. After all, some in-game aspects are automated. So, you win and lose more hands by the sheer fact that you are playing more games.
If you were to work on the ratio of games won and lost while playing online and in real life, you would probably find that the figure is very similar.
4. Becoming a Poker Pro is Easy
Learning how to play poker is easy; however, becoming a professional player is by no means easy. Many people consider Poker a sport because it requires the same type of psychological stamina you would need to play a game like soccer, rugby, or footie.
You need to practice to get better and play the best players to ensure you learn the skills to compete at a top level. Understand that you will need to put in the work if you intend on becoming a poker pro. And, even then, you might still not be good enough – just like regular sports.
5. You Should Only Practice for Free
We always recommend that new players practice free online casino games before trying the real thing. This is because you need to know how a game’s rules work before you start making bets for money.
If you start wagering on a game you don’t know how to play, you have practically guaranteed yourself losing hands. You may go all-in on a High Card hand stupidly – only to find out later that it is the worst hand in the game.
However, practising for free does not make you a good player. You need to put yourself in situations where other players and stakes are real to learn the gravity of the decisions you need to make and improve your overall skill.
6. Players are Always Bluffing
Bluffing is a sound strategy that pretty every player uses at some time or another during a poker game. But this doesn’t mean that players are bluffing in every single hand!
Most players only really bluff when they are very sure about a hand or another player’s strategy. So, you shouldn’t be trying to scare off other players by making huge bets on every other hand of pairs because that is not an effective use for bluffing.
Players will soon see through you, and it could end badly. Put to rest the ideas created by popular films where players bluff to win on every single hand.
7. Good Players Always Win
Good players don’t win every game. Although poker is a game that involves skill, there is no way to take the luck element out of it. This means that even if you are a great player, there will be times where you will be a victim of a series of bad hands and will lose to average players.
Practising your skills will minimize your potential losses, but you will never fully be able to avoid losing altogether. So, you shouldn’t feel discouraged when playing against good players. You also shouldn’t be overly confident if you are a good player.
8. Bad Players Ruin a Table
There is a theory that bad players are difficult to beat – which, if you read it twice, doesn’t really make sense. The idea is that bad players are more likely to try stupid manoeuvres, such as calling you down on bad hands and get lucky.
However, if you are a good player, you should be able to notice these bad patterns. Look, everyone will feel bad about losing a hand to a noob – even if it was only once. But if you are truly a skilled player, you will know that you are statistically more likely to get the edge over bad players over a series of hands.
9. Withdrawing Leads to Bad Hands
This belief is an example of gambler’s fallacy. Some players believe withdrawing your money from your casino account actually affects the outcome of your next game session. But why would it?
A random number generator is not influenced by anything. Each game is independent of the last. So, if you win a hand, you will not lose the next because you previously won. You could win both hands or lose both hands. The only thing that impacts your odds of winning is your luck and skill at the game.
10. You Need to Be Good at Maths
You do not have to be a maths whizz to be good at poker. A lot of people make this assumption based on the basic arithmetic you need to count cards.
Often, concepts like odds and probabilities are made to seem difficult to understand. Sure, they can be, but we think you’ll find it pretty manageable with poker. Even simply knowing the odds of getting a hand will help you make better decisions.
Check out our other free guides:
