How to pick-up chips when card dead until first break...

I've play tight, but 9 out of the last 10 tournaments I've played in I get NO cards to play even for a loose player. What is the best way to pick-up easy chips here and there to survive until I get some cards?

play like a lagtard, i never need good cards to play, probably why i dont win many events

Play more with position rather than cards....

I'm glad you said that. I played in 7 tournaments tonight. In 5 of them I know this isn't typical, but the player 2 spots to my left the BB when I'm D would go all-in to protect his blind every time if I raised. A couple of times I would raise with a hand like A10suited and the idiot would go all in super bet style with 400 in the pot and he would have 9K in chips. So that failed badly. It could be the fact I had to drop down to lower limit buy-ins cause I took a hit to my BR and now I'm playing with the ALL-IN with any 2 cards folks too much.


I feel like if I could get up enough BR to play in the $100+ buy-in tournaments I would actually fair better. I personally believe that even the best pro's would have a hard time playing low/micro low buy-in tournamnaments with the all-in first hand guys and all in with any Ace guys. There isn't much skill shown in tournaments like these. Thats why I respect Ferguson so much for going form $0 to $10K or what ever he got up to.

During the early stages of MTTs-10/20, 15/20, 20/40-blinds I dont worry too much if Im card dead. I play tight and not many hands, but the hands I do play have a lot of potential to win me big pots. AA, KK, QQ, AK. Also, look to go set mining with small pairs if you can get in for cheap. Avoid hands like QJ, K10, J10, etc. I dont blind steal/re-steal during these early stages.

Once blinds get to about 25/50, 30/60, 50/100 open up your hand range more. If I had been playing tight and folding everything, Im usually sitting at around 1200 when blinds are at 25/50 which is ok. I still have a decent stack to work with, but now I have to start accumulating chips. Play position a lot stronger now. Go for the blind steals/re-steals now because the pots are now worth it. Attack the weak/passive and loose players to try and pick up the chips. You dont need a great hand as long as your hand can beat their range of hands they play, you'll have a slight advantage and it could pay off. Dont play every hand, still be selective and pick your spots, but be aggressive with them.

I usualy give a few bucks to Philthy to go buy some drinks and swipe some of his while he's gone. (shhhh, don't tell him!)

Other than that, his post is excelent advice to cover the question at hand. Try to add it to your bag of tricks.

Play a bunch of $1 MTT's, like the 45 or 90 person SNG's, and play them with your cards covered up. It's cheap and it's ideal for learning how to play the table / people / position and not the cards.

So, thats what happens to all my chips!

I only play the top 7 hands before the first break

How does that work out for you? I think its a good idea for the first couple of blind levels, but I think it might be playing a bit too tight since blinds are usually at 50/100 or 60/120 by the break. What do you do if you're card dead? And what about after the break?

Wow, that sounds like good advice. I will have to use it myself. Good post!

my advice would be tighten your game up, but play your position very aggressively since your playing so tight ppl would have to give u some sort of credit, and don't be afraid to raise with some bs hands, only on the button, and then play the oppent on the flop rather then your cards, hope this helps

Again I have to agree with Philthy, but I do play a bit looser than the cards mentioned in his earlier post. Very early it can be profitable to just call in good hands (top 20) and see a flop cheap. Here's where slow playing the absolute nuts wisely can pay big, taking your time to call as if you're unsure and then nailing them on the river. How much to nail them for all depends on how they've acted in previous hands. Watching every hand played no matter if your in it or not is critical to gain info. You'll learn who to steal from and who will call with a draw. Just make sure when a showdown happens you have it solid (makes blind steals easier when in position due to earned respect)

I see guys way too loose and a few way to tight every game and adjust my game to suit the player I'm against in any particlular hand. I should also mention the Min bet guys....I love 'em, if I don't have it it's an easy toss but when I do it's a lot of extra chips when they get frusterated with a check raise on the river and call trying to save face in their actions even though they have little to no hand at all. (beware, even they hit hands too)

All in all it is far better to play tight in the conditions of the OP, just so long as it is not so tight the blinds become an overwhelming factor latter in the game. You will have to make a stand sometime, no sense of it being with your last few chips because you haven't played a single hand the whole game.

. Hmm, I mean to say to avoid hands like KJ, 10J, Q9s, A10, etc in EP because they'll get you in trouble. If you're to open in mid-late position, then they're ok to limp/raise every now and then. EP, i play top 10 hands + limp in with mid pairs, mid-late position I play top 20 hands.

When you guys talk about playing aggressive....How far are you willing to go with a hand? For instance...blinds are 25/50 and if I am in mid/late position and I am holding middle pair while catching none of the flop (we will say 10, 7, K) and it is checked to me...and the pot has about 600 chips, and I make a stab at the pot with a bet of about 300 chips and get re-raised by someone in early position. Would the right move be to call or fold right there? I get myself in these situations alot and would like some help

I always get myself in BIG trouble with middle pairs, so if I can get to the flop for nothing I will sit there, and maybe even pay off a min bet to see the turn but if nothing by then I will muck my pocket cards.
Hope that wandering answer helped.

It would depend on my opponent, how much the bet is, how much my opponent has, and how much I have in my stack. If my opponent is someone capable with raising with a 3rd pair or maybe just a draw, I might have the best hand. If its a small raise and its not costing me much I might call do see what they do on the turn. Since they're in early position, they act first and Im looking to go check/check. If they bet out, I can let the hand go. If I think they're on a weak steal attempt, I can come over the top with another raise and try to take it down. Or if they're pretty tight and will only be raising with top pair and a decent kicker, I'll lay it down. Usually though, this is an easy fold situation where it doesnt cost you much. You took a stab at the pot and it didnt work, try again next time.

Nickthegreek said it all pretty well. Only prob I see is that with 25/50 blinds, it's hard to get to a 600 pot postflop without some betting pf. Per your example, with the board showing 2 overcards, I would follow Adventure's advice and follow the check. You DID say the 'early' position re-raised. Likely he hit his 10 or K and has a fish on the line, or a bluff. (Only you can decide that)

As soon as I can't chase that set cheap, I'm out.

This was a read for me as i too have been card dead and have wondered what the hell to do, some good advice on here!

good strategy

The situation I was in was a little more complex as all situations are. There is no "correct" way of doing X in poker "ALL THE TIME". There are situations to consider.

I was card dead and was 3rd in chips with 5 players left in tournament. When I was on the button the SB was folding to almost anything, but the BB was threating to go all-in with any 2 cards. I never really got a hand I felt comfortable testing the BB's patience with. I never really had a chance to make a move because of my position at the table in comparison to the types of players to my left and right.

I also was unfortunate to have to go through the blinds 2 times in a row when we combinded the final 2 tables and the blinds moved up during my BB every time after that (double wammy blinds hitting hurt). I guess it's just the way it is sometimes and not much I could have done. There was really only 1 hand that I could have pushed with (and would have won with) when I was in position J10s. I was about to pull the trigger on the button and the BB said I will call with my KK. I thought about it and said I know this idiot really does have KK and is just scared that I will suck out. The SB said OK I'll go all-in here I have AA - I fold -they both do as they said and they both had what they said. The flop 987 t- 2 r- 9 ~I would have won with a straight vs. 2 all-ins and almost triple up.