how to handle being card dead

[luckystraights]

I've been having problems with being card dead recently, and the resulting losess have knocked my confidence a little, which doesn't help my game any either, so thought I'll ask how you handle it?

Problem is in a lot of games recently, I've been virtually card dead throughout, occassionally I get AK's and the like, but the never hold up, after a while I'm forced to make  moves and represent a quality hand, each time I do I get multiple callers, and even with continuation bets, they follow me all the way to the river, by which time someone invariably has made a hand.

Lately I've had very little in the way of cards, and haven't had success representing anything either, even on the flop if I'm representing a straight or flush, someone without either draw, but bottom or middle pair hangs around unless I commit virtually all my hand on a bluff.

Should I just chalk this up to a bad run, or is there something I can do differently to combat these sort of situations.

Much appreciated xxx

[Martini]

For online play, I do multiple tables at once. Multi-tabling gives me more playable hands per hour and helps to prevent "boredom calls" where I get too speculative. It also helps me fade bad beats because it is easier to see the majority of the times that you don't get a bad beat because they are all happening in quick succession to each other. "Oh, I got sucked out on that table? Oh well, I just dragged a pot on these other two tables." Still, even with multiple tables you can get stretches with no cards. I just keep an eye on the percentages to make sure that I'm taking an appropriate number of flops. When you are at multiple tables, it is much harder to have a very long extended run of bad cards.

[luckystraights]

2 or 3 games with no cards I can accept, its when I get sessions of 5 or more games where I get nothing, but the occassional AK / AQ and even they don't hold up, just had a really really long session and more then half the games, around 5 gave me  nothing, and every time I had something, I'll get draw out on with trash who will make a winner on the turn or river.

I don't mind  it now and then, but its when it happens over and over and over again game after game that it bugs the hell out of me.

I've tried multi-tabling before with not much success. I can't manage it very well on my monitor because despite being 19" its only a CRT and to see the screens I have to other lap them, even just for two tables, which is a distraction in itself.

I could probably do with another activity to do besides poker, that way if I'm on a lossing streak I can do something else, regain  my composure and come back a winner, but I don't so I just play game after game.

I'm on my 12th Sit-N-Go of this session so far, over two days with no break.

[Jambine]

I've been having problems with being card dead recently, and the resulting losess have knocked my confidence a little, which doesn't help my game any either, so thought I'll ask how you handle it?.....

Wait

[pauld22]

Have you tried playing short handed tables?  There tends to be less waiting there.

[Detroitdad]

Lucky,

First off, maybe you change your name

I was card dead for 3 hrs on SAT. night (Live game). I played as SS, or damn near the entire night. I have never folded so many hands in a tourney, hell, I don't think in two tourneys combined, lol.

However I stayed the more patient than I have ever been in my short (3 yrs) of poker playing. It payed off. I finished 4th out of 19 players and cashed.

B

[HarveyWallbanger]

martini gave GREAT advice.  i would follow that.

for me, 2 tables is enough.  i make the tourney i care most about full-screen......and the other one, i shrink about half way up (just far enough that the call-fold-raise buttons aren't too close).

that way i can still see everything well, but i avoid a mistake, because my tables pop-up when its my turn......don't want to fold the cowboys by accident!

this has definitely cured me of the same problem you are having. 

it's even better on the laptop that i bought my wife "for work."     lol. 

she seriously did need it for work, but it's mine at night after her & our son go to bed.  i usually play from about 10pm-1am or so.....depending on how kind the poker gods are to me.

i just kick back on the couch and watch tv when the action is slow.

oh....and i always use a different theme for the other table(s).....easier to remember misc. tourney information.

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

The fact is, we all run into dead cards eventually.  Frustrating for sure but that's where discipline takes over.  Depending on the circumstances, you're best bet is to be patient and wait for some decent cards or an opportunity to bluff/semi-bluff and take the pot.  Sometimes, no matter what, it just won't be your night.  And that streak can happen often too.  Patience and discipline is key.

[d-alamo]

I've been having problems with being card dead recently, and the resulting losess have knocked my confidence a little, which doesn't help my game any either, so thought I'll ask how you handle it?.....

Wait

If playing on-line, crank up the music.  If playing live, break out the Ipod/MP3 player!

[luckystraights]

This has been a really negative expericne for me, blew virtually all my profit in the last 3 days, with not a great lot of hope. Got sick  loss after sick loss, ran card dead for game after game after game, had nothing for over 5 straight games... but I didn't stop playing and lost more probably through steam more then anything then

Tried to launch a few come backs, but each time I run card dead again, end up short stacked, get called all the way when I make a move, nothing works... I'm sure you've all been there, but its hitting me hard, I'm angry, upset and annoyed all at the same time, I haven't been playing long, but I've played a  hell of a lot, and this is a very very bad run for me.

I'm trying to stay positive though, and I'm going to work on playing with connectors and gap connectors I'll usually just toss, but if these are all I'm getting I want to play them the best way I can. I'll hardly every play a hand like 43s or 75o even in the blinds, but thats the territory I'm faced with at the moment, because thats all I'm getting.

I went from expecting to double my deposit in a 3 days or so, to reducing my bankroll by 2/3'ds of my former profit, its been a hard hit which will test me big, my confidence has been shattered lately and I'm finding it hard to rebuild.

[Detroitdad]

I've been having problems with being card dead recently, and the resulting losess have knocked my confidence a little, which doesn't help my game any either, so thought I'll ask how you handle it?.....

Wait


I like a stiff rum and coke myself.

B

[Jambine]

Lucky, if you’ve been card dead then how can you be loosing?  If you’re not playing hands, then you are out only the cost of the blinds.  If you’re playing bad cards, you’re…. well…. STOP

[TwoToGo-Grave]

It sounds like nothing but a lack of patience.  This happens to all of us at times, so don't fret about it.  My advice would be as follows:  Just don't play the hands.  Pay attention to what going on at the table (try to make watching the action interesting to you), maybe while multi-tabling if you can do it comfortably (if not, wait until you feel comfortable before trying it).  Remember, poker is nothing but making decisions and playing situations, so try to wait until you find a situation to play  before you do.  You can't manufacture hands, even when it feels like you need to, so don't try to.  Play your game, even when it requires being patient.  Poker is a long term game, so don't worry about being card dead over the short term.  Good luck...

[Reindeerz]

If you can handle the crazies, play a cheapie ($5 or less even sit and go) and mix things up, if you're usually a tight player, get in there and gamble (smartly of course) be more agressive.  Win, or loose, you're only out a few bucks and shaking things up like that improves your "A" game. 

[TwoToGo-Grave]

If you can handle the crazies, play a cheapie ($5 or less even sit and go) and mix things up, if you're usually a tight player, get in there and gamble (smartly of course) be more agressive.  Win, or loose, you're only out a few bucks and shaking things up like that improves your "A" game. 

I'll respectfully disagree here.  It seems like playing less than optimal (even to blow off steam or whatever) has the potential for putting you in bad habits.  I always try to get in a rhythm when I'm playing and it sure seems like not playing your best in tournaments that at 'uninteresting' stakes would make that more difficult to do consistently.  I think that you need to train yourself to be patient and to look to make the best play at all times.  Since this isn't easy to do, you need to log the time playing to do it consistently, and thus should not be playing less than optimal poker on purpose on occasion.

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

I'll respectfully disagree here.  It seems like playing less than optimal (even to blow off steam or whatever) has the potential for putting you in bad habits.  I always try to get in a rhythm when I'm playing and it sure seems like not playing your best in tournaments that at 'uninteresting' stakes would make that more difficult to do consistently.  I think that you need to train yourself to be patient and to look to make the best play at all times...

Very well said, Two-to-Go.  Lucky, I would read this statement over and over until it sinks in. Since it appears you are in the 'study' mode and willing to learn new strategies, this will probably be your best strategy of them all. The first three points I tell any new player to the game is Patience, Discipline and Starting Hands. And then I repeat that about five different times.

One other item if you will allow me.  When I run into a bad streak, the temptation is to play another game and then another and maybe another because you are either steamed or have convinced yourself the loss was a fluke and you just know you'll do better the next game.  More often than not, you'll find that bad streak continuing and now you've lost most, if not all, of the games (you lost five straight games.)  After a second loss, you're probably better off calling it a night and take the time to analyze your play to prepare for the next day.  Your money will last longer, you'll have a better understanding of any mistakes and maybe the streak will have ended. 

[Jambine]

Hope this doesn’t sound like I’m preaching, but I think we are making some dangerous assumptions here.  I just want to point out a few facts.

There are no “patterns” in poker.  Long runs of good or bad cards are completely random events.  You can’t expect to win at a single session of poker, any more than you can expect to win the next hand.  Winning at poker is a long term undertaking, and ALL profit in poker comes from exploiting your opponent’s mistakes.  You can’t profit from their mistakes, if you are making mistakes yourself (by playing bad cards).

This is a tough concept, but, making the correct play in poker will often result in a loss.  Consistently making the correct plays, over the long term, will result in a profit.  Focus on making the correct plays, and don’t worry so much about the immediate result.

[luckystraights]

Very well said, Two-to-Go.  Lucky, I would read this statement over and over until it sinks in. Since it appears you are in the 'study' mode and willing to learn new strategies, this will probably be your best strategy of them all. The first three points I tell any new player to the game is Patience, Discipline and Starting Hands. And then I repeat that about five different times.

I took a short break and recomposed myself, and after two sessions ending in profit, I'm feeling a bit better. I've also picked up some new techniques / strategies, that I put to work yesterday and have improved some weaknesses.

One other item if you will allow me.  When I run into a bad streak, the temptation is to play another game and then another and maybe another because you are either steamed or have convinced yourself the loss was a fluke and you just know you'll do better the next game.  More often than not, you'll find that bad streak continuing and now you've lost most, if not all, of the games (you lost five straight games.)  After a second loss, you're probably better off calling it a night and take the time to analyze your play to prepare for the next day.  Your money will last longer, you'll have a better understanding of any mistakes and maybe the streak will have ended. 

Your so right here, I used to play a minimum of 3 Sit-N-Go's per day, which as recently been increased to 4 to make it easier to reach my bonus,  but during the bad sessions I played 15 games per day, just couldn't stop, played for over 24 straight hours without a break.

I've now imposed a 4 game max per day rule, if I feel the itch to play, I'll sit in a free-roll or play on a "bonus money" game on another site and leave my bankroll alone. I've also got back to doing something between each Sit-N-Go, even if its just doing dishes, gives me a quick break so I can play better in the next one I sit in.

[LuckyDog Poker Art]

I'm glad to hear you found some new strategies that seem to work for you. That's gotta feel good, huh!

I am really, really glad to hear you put a limit on the number of games you play. I think we all know the tempation to play more is there but you're wise to focus on other activities or 'play money' games. 

I know you don't need me to say it but I'm proud of you. 

[luckystraights]

I know you don't need me to say it but I'm proud of you. 

oh, thanks :-)

My two 15 game sessions where horrific, so bad in fact I contemplated quiting online poker, glad I got that out of my system. Yesterday's session wasn't great, ended two buy-in's behind but I feel I did everything I could so I'm not phased. I'm trying to worry less about having strings of wins broken or trying to avoid strings of losses instead just focusing on one game at a time... what do I need to do to win this one game, and all that.

[hockeygoon]

If I were you I'd only use the 4 game max rule if you're losing.  Daniel Negrenau wrote a column about one of his buddies playing for a set amount of time and then stopping regardless of how well he was doing.  that was fine when he was losing r breaking even, but if you're on a roll, why limit how much you can win?

[luckystraights]

If I were you I'd only use the 4 game max rule if you're losing.

I agree, but sadly that hasn't been an issue for me lately

[Martini]

Next time you are at the bookstore, check out "Zen and the Art of Poker" and see if any of that resonates for you. It's a light read. I had previously ignored it because when I leafed through it there weren't any hole cards or diagrams but my friend recommended it so I picked it up. It basically reinforces some stuff that we all know is true but that we can forget while we are wrapped up in the action. Simple stuff like the fact that the deck doesn't owe you squat. If you haven't been dealt Aces in a while, oh well, that's life. It will happen eventually but don't expect it to happen next hand just because you haven't gotten them in a while. Let the game come to you and don't try to force it. Et cetera. Might help to read it since it appears that the biggest hole in your game is not the fundamentals of playing but the mental game of sticking to the fundamentals.

[luckystraights]

no aces in awhile... that reminds me, a freeroll last week, in the space of 10 hands I had pocket aces 3 times, every single time everyone folded, even the SB when I was in the BB... I was not ammused.

I've got loads of poker books I'm interested in reading, I'll add this to the list I'm about 45% through Lee Jones Low Limit Hold'em at the moment. Its taking me ages to read poker books as I play a lot between topics so I have some experience to reflect on when I read the txt.

Thanks for the suggestion xxx

[hockeygoon]

no aces in awhile... that reminds me, a freeroll last week, in the space of 10 hands I had pocket aces 3 times, every single time everyone folded, even the SB when I was in the BB... I was not ammused.

I hate it when that heppens

[spider]

Late to this thread but I wanted to add this note - look for deeper stacked, longer level games.  Its frustrating to be card dead in a sit-n-go if you don't catch anything early. 

I played my first deep stack tournament last weekend, and while I got some chips early, half way through it went pretty cold for me.  But because of the format (and people noticed that I hadn't played any cards) I was able to last till the final table, taking a few blinds and antes and folding everything else.

[hizzamhock]

If you play long enough, you will experience bad runs.  Its inevitable.  Part of variance.  Just accept that it is going to happen sometimes and play within your bankroll so that a run of bad luck doesnt break you.  At a minimum, 20 full buy ins for cash games, 300 big bets for limit games, 40 buy ins for tourneys.  If you get below those levels, step down a level.  Ive had the same thing lately running bad, but I havent gone on tilt, and went down a level when I needed to.  Good luck.