Dont panic!

Don't you hate getting in a tourney and it seems you haven't had one good hand!! Well don't panic, patience is the key. I have found in many tourneys that if I'm patient, the hands will eventually show up. Many times i have gotten down to 500 chips and only played a couple hands. But if your patient and don't play the king jacks, or the ace sevens, when you get the monster hand you can double up. I have come back from the grave many times by waiting on the premium hands and then making them good by limping in on the flop. So be patient and don't panic! And don't be afraid to fold aces if another pair hits the board, chasing is a losing game.

Good advice. I know what ya mean.

Experience, play a LOT of tournaments and you develop a read on how many ways there are to play. How you need to adjust depending on how the game is going.

I've made the final table in more than one tournament where it wasn't as important what hands I played as what hands I DIDN'T PLAY. I've made the final table in a couple of tournaments by almost not playing at all, just a couple of key hands at key times can be all you need to make the cash/FT.

On the other hand, sometimes if the game is right you play fast and loose, if your hitting flops and have the chips you can intimidate other players and get there that way. Or sometimes just average stack your way, playing some folding some. Depends on the game the luck and the players, experience over time will present you with what you need to do.

"Don't Panic" is good advice.

I've had this problem in the past, I wasn't getting any hands and started playing the ace rag and other garbage hands. I noticed that it got me into a lot of trouble because when I finally picked up a decent I would already be on the short stack and be forced to move all-in. So just remember, "Don't Panic."

I agree that patience is key, especially during the early and middle stages of game, but there are times when you have to stop waiting for premium hands and push with any decent hand you get. This is usually when the blinds are so high compared to your stack that you just cant wait for a big hand. There is nothing wrong with being patient, Im a very patient person but I think theres a fine line between playing patiently and playing scared poker. If your still playing patient when the blinds represent 10% or more of your overall stack, thats as if you're playing scared poker. You need to pushing any type of quality hand you get and hope for the best. You have to look for and play those race situations.

Of course, if you're playing this patient/tight, it should be very easy for you to steal a few pots and blinds with your image, so use that to your advantage.

Blinds are at 50/100 and you have 500 left. There is no point in waiting for a monster hand here. If you get KJ, JQ, A10, 10J, 56s, or any non-premium, but still strong hand/hand with potential, push it. Patience and waiting can only last you so long, but when blinds are eating at your stack you're going to want to start stealing and playing other hands to get chips and survive.

Also, with premium hands, I think its not worth it to limp in. If you get a big hand raise it. Especially if there is a nice amount of money already in there from the blinds and antes. Raise it, make the pot bigger. Depending on the blinds and your stack vs your opponents stack, you might get 2 or more callers to triple you up if your hand holds. By limping, you're letting players come in cheaply. And if a problem flop hits or your opponents before you put pressure, you're going to be a sticky situation.

EX: blinds at 50/100 your have 500. You limp in after 2 limpers, blinds call. Flop is Jh, 8h, 9h. and you're holding black Aces. First limper bets, next pushes all in, so now you have to fold because you cant call. You had a very strong hand PF, but you limp in hopes to get a lot chips but instead, you have to fold and you lose another 100. Also, the less amount of chips you have, no matter how big your hand is PF, if you lose fold equity you'll get called down by mediocre hands. So, push all in with these hands and you will get max value a lot better that way. Even if you get 1 caller, you'll still double up + pick up blinds and antes, your hand is a big favorite against any other hand your opponent is holding and has a better chance at winning vs. 1 player.

ETA: There are a few situations in which I will play a bit more patiently in the later stages, and thats when Im severe short stack at a table with other short stacks at well. If I notice these other players in a push frenzy, I'll sit tight and hope they bust out and then I can play push/fold myself. This is usually only for SNGs when reaching the money is obtainable. For MTTs, I'll push right in with the action and hope for the best because Im probably so far behind that Im hoping to triple up or better at this point or go bust.

I don't think it would be too smart to limp with rockets if you have 5x the blind. That's just asking to get them cracked.

limping in with aces with 5x the big blind annette obrestad would not make that play