How to play when truly “card dead”?

Ok, hi all. I’ve recently encountered myself in short tourneys and cash games where I’ve been truly card dead for extended periods of time. I’m talking not receiving ANY playable hands within my ranges. Do any of you more experienced players have a tips on strategy when faced with this situation. I’m talking like not even getting marginal suited gapped connectors. Thanks im advance for any insight.

I know the feeling, that is just something that happens every know and then. It's very annoying and frustrating but the best thing you can do is just to power it through and stick to your A-game. The worst thing is to start playing looser just because you're frustrated so stay away from those thoughts. If that card dead period lasts long, it may become very difficult mentally so another solution is to take a break for a few days for example and do something completely different without even thinking poker. Being card dead might still continue after that but at least your mind is now fresh and you won't be that frustrated right away. And always remember that the only way is up if you stick to your A-game. Those bad runs don't last forever even though it might feel that way at some point

I know what you mean, it can be exasperating getting crap cards for an extended period of time. I have lost many a game when I had 900 chips left in position and went in with 10, j, or q rag because it was the most premium hand I got in the last two hours.

I prefer when cardschat has a 3000 starting chip game, because if you are card dead, 1500 chips is not even gonna get you to first break.

if I'm carddead playing nlhe for long period i might try Omaha for awhile -if I'm playing mtt and cant leave i try to just have patience very hard sometimes to do

Personally I exploit my table image a bit. I play tight so I occassionally abuse limpers from LP with 3b re-steals and use the blinds to the best of my ability till I get some more playable hands. My strategy is to usually try and outlast the card dead period for as long as I can till I get playable hands. Occasionally there's no stopping that card dead streak. It may go on for a 100+ hands and there's nothing I do from it and brush it off to that rare session.

Once I got to the final table playing marginal cards. For the whole tournament I have never seen premium hands. Only questionable cards. Poker is a game where everyone has a chance to win chips. But someone to achieve this goal is given a premium card, and someone is given garbage.

Tight tight tighten up when card dead. It can only last for so long and you just have to bear through it. Sometimes this can be a saving grace in tournys because you’re dealt a lot of “stay out of trouble”.

I had this sad experience once when I was in final table and I was card dead for nearly about 50 minutes and one got A 10 but that was a split pot and in the end my 9 9 got me out by K K.

In such situations it is necessary to play in position and try to steal the blinds also with non-premium hands. Also restealing and some bluffing might help to overcome this phase.

i think you need to choose a larger range of hands for the game!

Он не лечится. Вам нужно пойти в другой покер-рум. Или время выхода из игры. Today at partypoker I lost 3 tickets $1.10 $8.80 $44.0 .Shut it and play the other two .

This happens to everybody and you can do nothing about it. Just dont get frustrated and stick to your strategy. At times I was 4-tabling 6-max and was card dead for hour or two straight, without getting a suited connector or anything. Thats normal. Dont worry about it. If you feel upset, just quit. Poker will be there tomorrow. And the next day too.

You will experience a lot of sessions like this, but on the other hand there will be sessions where you will receive premium hands more often. Dont worry about it, its just normal. No real tip to use here.


Good luck at the tables

it is frustrating when that happens, especially in turbos. you suddenly see everyone around you with 2x or 3x your stack and there's nothing you can do about it. well, what i mostly do is trying to steal the blinds if the players to my left let me do this. if not, i look for other players that don't defend their blinds at all. this strategy is risky though, if he calls and you don't connect to the flop or if he shoves then you lose more than you gain so that's why i prefer doing it with certain hands. unfortunately, being card dead means not even weak aces sometimes, but you got the idea, play the player, not the cards

this has happened to me in some specific tournaments, my recommendation or as normal is to do intermittent push, because apart from chips you are losing time in that tournament.. open your range, play like a maniac or callstation, be aggressive(tight aggressive but not very tight), make it happen lol.. a good move can be tight preflop and aggressive postflop.. checkraise pushing the turn.. i like the tricky game.

Card dead

that is why in poker rooms there are many variety of games for you to test in what levels and in what type of games you like more comfortable, poker also requires a little patience to wait for good cards


😊:star:

just wait for the good ones. and if they don't come then pick a spot to shove if it's a tourney no less than 15 BBs.
I've played some crap lost most my chips. then pow AA.
then I pretty much cripled myself. it does suck and is hard. but you can only do what you can do don't force it. ( that's what she said ) lol.
good luck

strategy and opportunity

This is not a pleasant situation. there are several opportunities that arise from your position on the tables for bluffing and getting cheap flops. sometimes your poor cards can make good post flop hands. just be patient and sharp. look for your opportunities post flop if you manage to get in the game cheaply.

Its easier said than done, but in mtts if you are card dead you can "play the villan" or you can play the icm. For example, if you know a villan folds to steals- then steal, if he folds to cbets- cbet, etc. As far as icm goes try to figure out the villans range and act accordingly.

Thanks all! It's obviously not as much of an issue in cash games, where I only need to deal with my own frustration and mental fortitude to keep myself in check. But in short tourneys, will rapidly increasing blinds, it can be very difficult. Marginal hands I can work with and usually keep myself in decent shape, but when I'm just getting garbage, it's hard to wait it out when the blinds are doubling and your 40bb stack just became 20bb, etc. . . Thankfully, it only happens once in a while.

If I've been card dead for a while, I will usually (if I have my thinking cap on) quit for a while, perhaps for the day. Card dead usually means that your'e not going to have any luck if you do try to play those mediocre cards post flop either. So take a break - go running, skiing, golfing, diving, walk the dog, anything that doesn't involve 52 cards.

Card Dead against Large BBs

If you're truly card dead against large BBs in tourney the only thing you can hope for is a lot of limpers / small players while you're in late position. If I'm on the button, maybe up to 2 away from the button, and have 30+ BB just dwindling away, I start playing any connectors (not suited) and any suited (not connectors). But only if I can get in it for 1-2 BBs. Even 3 BBs is too much. Playing this way you will hit occasionally, and you can outplay opponents post-flop if they're playing weak.
Again, if you're truly card dead and can't afford to lose blinds all the time, this is a last-ditch kind of strategy that may help you pick up a few small pots to keep your stack alive.

If the card is not need for a while to take a break.

I try to play a little bit looser, but not too much.
I also try to steal a bit more than ussual.
And if that doesn't help, I just shove with the best I get when under 10BB.

When I am down to 30bb , I usually choose to move all in with K high.