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Card Dead - What to do?

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  1. TPTKMaverick TPTKMaverick is offline

    United Kingdom

    Posts: 2
    Joined: Aug 08

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 8:32am)

    I've been playing poker with some regularity for 6 months now and see my game progressing nicely. However, in the last month I've been completely card dead, I'll play MTT's and for hours, sit there expecting the cards to improve, but they never do. I'm scraping into the money simply by observing and picking off players that seem to show weakness, usually by bluffing.

    My question is what do you do during these times when the cards don't come? I've considered becoming more loose as a player (I would class myself as tight but as I get deeper in the MTT's loosen up) but it doesn't feel natural.

    How would I deal with an aggressive table when not getting the cards to counter? Do I start to play anything and hope to get lucky? Do I stay tight and just minimise my losses?

    I know all players go through this but just interested in how the more experienced players deal with spells in there game where the cards always favour the other guy?

    Thanks.
  2. joshinho joshinho is offline

    Australia

    Posts: 132
    Joined: Oct 07

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 10:11am) in reply to TPTKMaverick

    Play position poker when you're card dead. Aggressive late and on the button. Try turn raises. Utilize your fold equity- whether you have a hand or not.
  3. the_snail03 the_snail03 is offline

    United Kingdom

    Posts: 4,001
    Joined: Sep 07

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 10:13am) in reply to joshinho

    fold to cash obv
     
  4. Jack_Brown Jack_Brown is offline

    Dublin, OH
    United States

    Posts: 92
    Joined: Nov 05

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 10:31am) in reply to TPTKMaverick

    As Doyle says "When Luck shuts the door.....come in through the Window!!" This is a time to really practice stealing in position. From what I've watched of the great players they can do this better than most and that is what keeps them in the game when the cards go south!
    K
  5. haleike haleike is offline

    Posts: 1,749
    Joined: Jul 05

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 10:35am) in reply to TPTKMaverick

    Josh is right on. If I find myself in this position, I like to cover up my cards with a Post-It Note. It sure makes it easier to bet pretending you have Aces vs seeing 7-2o.

    You might want to watch Annette's video where she played a 180 man sng on stars blind. This video deomonstrates the power of position poker.
  6. Neek Neek is offline

    Boca Raton, FL
    United States

    Posts: 2,216
    Joined: Oct 06

    Aug 4th, 2008 (8/4/2008 10:44am) in reply to TPTKMaverick

     
    Originally Posted by TPTKMaverick View Post

    I've been playing poker with some regularity for 6 months now and see my game progressing nicely. However, in the last month I've been completely card dead, I'll play MTT's and for hours, sit there expecting the cards to improve, but they never do. I'm scraping into the money simply by observing and picking off players that seem to show weakness, usually by bluffing.

    My question is what do you do during these times when the cards don't come? I've considered becoming more loose as a player (I would class myself as tight but as I get deeper in the MTT's loosen up) but it doesn't feel natural.

    How would I deal with an aggressive table when not getting the cards to counter? Do I start to play anything and hope to get lucky? Do I stay tight and just minimise my losses?

    I know all players go through this but just interested in how the more experienced players deal with spells in there game where the cards always favour the other guy?

    Thanks.

    It depends on your stack size. If your stack is 25xBB or more you can still raise with a wide range of cards when the BB has a good stack size to steal from (say 15-20xBB). If you run into resistance. bail.

    If your stack is 25x-15xBB then look for a place to resteal, with an aggressive player in late position doing what I just said above to you, and ship on him with a wide range of hands.

    With 10x-15xBB I'm still looking for a resteal as well, but I'm gonna want a hand with a chance at showdown, because you'll get called more often. Once you get this low, try to find which players (on reads and stack sizes) that you can shove on with a wide range of hands, because the blinds and antes should be significant at this stage.

    Player reads and stack sizes are everything for me here. Aggressive player in the cutoff raises your BB with 30xBB behind and you have 22xBB, then ship it in with fold equity. If you have a weak player in the BB with 15xBB then go ahead and raise to try and steal, or even shove with a wide range if your stack is to short to raise with.
     
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