Which mistakes does this quiz test?

Six beginner spots: an unopened pot in middle position, the big blind against a button open, a strong draw facing a small c-bet, a suited ace on the button, the button heads-up, and the bet size on a dry flop. Each answer names the mistake and the price behind it.

Is limping always a mistake?

Not always: behind other limpers, or from the small blind in some strategies, it can be fine. The limping page shows what a limp gives up: it never makes the big blind fold.

How do I stop folding too much in the big blind?

Look at the price. Against a 2bb button open, the call costs 1bb for a final pot of 4.5bb, so it needs 22.2% equity.

Common Poker Mistakes: Six Spots Where Beginners Lose Chips

By the Poker Puzzle Trainer team · Published October 21, 2026

Common poker mistakes at the start share a pattern: a decision made without checking the price, the position or the board. The quiz below puts six of them in front of you, one spot each. Answer first, then read the key: each answer is the author's, with the reason and, where it helps, the price behind it.

The quiz

Answer key

See the answer

Middle position, Q♠J♠, folded to you — open to 2.5bb. The mistake is the limp: Q♠J♠ is a standard open from middle position with good playability.
Big blind, K♣9♦, the button opens to 2bb — call. The mistake is the fold: the call costs 1bb for a final pot of 4.5bb, so it needs 22.2% equity, and K9o usually defends as a call because it realizes enough of its equity in the big blind.
Big blind, 9♣8♣, flop K♥ 7♣ 2♣, a c‑bet of a quarter of the pot — call. The mistake is the fold: the call needs 16.7%, and a strong draw calls a small bet at high frequency.
Button, A♠5♠, folded to you — open to 2.2bb. The mistakes are the fold and the oversized open: A5s is a high-value open with a blocker and strong playability.
Heads-up, button, K♠7♠ — open to 2bb. The mistake is the fold: heads-up, the button opens very wide, and a suited king is a clear open.
Button, K♠7♠, flop A♦ 8♣ 3♥, the big blind checks — bet 33% of the pot. The mistakes are giving up and betting big: on a dry ace-high board, the button's range advantage lets it c‑bet small at high frequency, and the bet needs 24.8% folds.

The mistake behind each spot

Mistake	What to do instead in the quiz
limping a playable hand	open
folding the big blind to a small open	compare the price with the hand
folding a strong draw to a small bet	call when the price is low
opening too big	open small
folding too much heads-up	open wide from the button
betting big on a dry board	bet small

Keep going

Why the limp loses value: limping in poker.
The price of every call: pot odds.
Defending the big blind: big blind defense vs the button.
The c‑bet sizes: the continuation bet.
Ten more decisions: the poker quiz.
One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.

Today's spot →

Sources

Every price is computed with the app's pot odds module or as bet ÷ (pot + bet), checked on October 11, 2026.
The answers to the spots follow rules written by the app's author; they do not come from a solver.