There is no guarantee you will win at the poker table. But there are plenty of ways to guarantee you will lose.

Let's look at some of the basic no-no's that will have everyone else at the table happy you showed up.

1. Don’t play under the influence
Playing after having a few drinks is not a good idea. Same goes for prescription medications and pot. Your perception changes when you use a drug of any kind. That’s why you drank in the first place, remember? If you’re seeing the world differently, you’re going to play differently. A drunk and his/her money are quickly separated.

2. Don’t chase away the fish
When you are having a winning session, don’t ridicule opponents for their poor play. Sometimes weak or recreational players - fish - will be poor sports when they’re losing their money. Don’t embarrass them further. They will just leave the game. There goes your easy money because of your big mouth. Other players won’t be impressed by this bonehead move either, because they see the easy money too.

3. Don’t play with money you don’t have
Playing poker should be a gradual increase of a float. Large cash buy-ins are not recommended for the novice player. Start small and work your way up. If you play with money that is for more important things, you may have to rethink whether you should be playing at all. You will hear this often: Play with your head, not over your head.

4. Don’t play the same way all the time
Good players are going to get a feel for your play if you’re around them long enough. Periodically, change up your play, even if you have to spend a bit of money to do it. Misleading your opponents can be profitable for you and frustrating for them.

5. Don’t become a calling machine
A common mistake new players practice is too much calling of bets. Good poker is about folding and betting. Controlling the pace and mood of a game requires taking the lead or getting out of the way.

6. Don’t be in a hurry
Becoming a winning player takes time. It will take hours of reading and playing before you begin to see profit. Some players feel a sense of urgency when they are down a few bucks. Stay the course and maintain your disciplined play.

7. Don’t be afraid to pass
Even the best players in the world fold the best hand sometimes. There is another hand coming right up that you could win. Good players fold when they feel they are behind in a hand. So should you. You may only be play in 20 per cent of the hands. That's OK. Impatience is seldom rewarded in poker.

8. Don’t draw to the low end of a straight 
Drawing to the low end of a straight is one of the first lessons most players learn the hard way. You get your draw, while some other guy was waiting for the same card that gave him an even higher straight than yours. Plays like this should happen to you only once. I’ll save you those bets now.

9. Don’t go on tilt
Going on tilt will surely break you. When you experience a couple of bad beats and get frustrated, don’t lose your cool and start playing undisciplined. Other players will recognize your temporary insanity and take advantage of it. If you are that upset, step away for awhile.

10. Don’t waste your clever moves on bad players
Straight-up play seems to be the best method against week players. Using fancy moves will only scare away a poor player. You don’t want to crush weak players. Encourage their play and teach them something. They’re paying you for this knowledge, it’s the least you can do. Then the player doesn’t run the next time you are at a table together.

By Dean Stone