The 12 leaks bleeding low-stakes players

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A poker leak is a repeated, predictable mistake that opponents can exploit — folding too much to small bets, paying off big river bets, checking hands that should bet. Unlike bad luck, a leak shows up in the same situations every session, which makes it both expensive and fixable.

These twelve patterns cover most of the money lost at low stakes. Each one maps to a real, measurable stat — VPIP, aggression factor, WTSD, 3-bet frequency, drill accuracy — with a flagged value, a fix target, and a drill protocol. No mystery, no vibes: a leak you can measure is a leak you can close.

Preflop leaks

Range problems — playing too few hands, too many, or re-raising at the wrong frequency.

Too tight preflopMajor

You fold hands like 76s and KTo from CO/BTN. You bleed blinds and miss late-position +EV opens.

Too loose preflopHeavy

You play 35%+ of hands, including weak offsuit hands out of position. Lots of trouble spots postflop.

Doesn't 3-bet enoughModerate

3-bet under 5% — you only re-raise the absolute nuts. Everyone folds when you do, killing your value.

3-bets too oftenModerate

You 3-bet 18%+ — opponents start 4-betting you light and your value hands get no action.

Postflop aggression leaks

Pressure problems — betting too little with good hands, or too much with nothing.

Too passive postflopMajor

Aggression factor under 1.5. You check too many strong hands and let villains realize equity for free.

Spews postflopHeavy

AF above 5 — you bluff into too many calling stations and bet thin made hands into raises.

Showdown leaks

Call/fold problems — paying off bets you shouldn't, or surrendering pots you own.

Calls too lightHeavy

You hate folding pairs — but villain's pot-sized river bet says he has you beat 70%+ of the time.

Folds too muchModerate

You over-fold to small bets — losing pots you should have won by floating or calling down.

Invisible leaks

The ones no stat line shows a beginner — information, math, reads and planning.

Bet sizing tellsModerate

Your bet size correlates 1-to-1 with hand strength — observant villains read you like a book.

Weak equity intuitionMajor

You can't quickly estimate equity vs typical ranges, leading to bad bluff-catch and bluff decisions.

Plays everyone the sameHeavy

You run one 'correct' script regardless of who's across from you — so you bluff the calling stations and pay off the nits, leaving money against the exact weak players you should be crushing.

No plan for later streetsMajor

You decide one street at a time — barreling into spots you can't follow through on, or checking hands you should have set up to value-bet on the river.

How leaks actually get fixed

Every leak page uses the same honest ladder: 45 drilled hands to reach Improving, 175 to reach Stable, and 500 drilled plus 120 live hands to reach Holding — and the tracked stat has to move in real play before any stage advances. Drills alone never close a leak; transfer does.

Which of the 12 is costing you?

Reading about leaks finds other people's. The free quiz deals you 7 real hands and measures yours — named, ranked, with the drill to close it.

Find my leak — free

Free · 2 minutes · 7 real hands · no signup

Common questions

What is a poker leak?

A leak is a repeated, predictable mistake in your game that opponents can exploit — like folding too much to small bets, paying off big river bets, or checking hands that should bet. Unlike bad luck, a leak recurs in the same situations and compounds over thousands of hands.

What are the most common poker leaks at low stakes?

Postflop passivity (checking strong hands), calling too light on rivers, playing too many hands preflop, and playing every opponent the same. Holdem Pro tracks 12 distinct leaks, each mapped to a measurable stat like VPIP, aggression factor or WTSD.

How do I find my biggest poker leak?

Play a diagnostic: Holdem Pro's free leak quiz deals you 7 real hands and scores every decision against the 12 leak patterns, then names your top leak. It takes about 2 minutes and needs no signup.

How long does it take to fix a poker leak?

On Holdem Pro's mastery ladder: about 45 drilled hands to reach Improving, 175 to Stable, and 500 drilled plus 120 live hands to Holding — with your live stats required to actually move before a stage advances.

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