The free card is a community card you do not have to pay (call a bet) to see. The free card is a double edged sword: on one hand, you’d like to be given as many free cards as possible on your drawing hands, on the other you do not want to give your opponents any of these free cards.

The free card is the beginner poker player’s biggest enemy. One of the most frequent mistakes beginners make is that they play too many starting hands and that they take their drawing hands way too far.

Now then, while doing this, they offer their opponents countless free cards, while their more experienced foes never give them a break, especially if they realize they’re faced with a clueless rookie. What this results in is that the rookie will throw away a bunch of money chasing his draws, and he won’t be able to cash in on the good hands that he makes.

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