Unplayable hands

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Scorpio_x_9

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I was playing a tournament today and i'm not shure if I played it completly wrong anyways the problem was that in an hour i did not get a better hand than TT or Kx (x being lower T). After na hour having less than 5bb I just shoved KT and lost to AA. What should in that situation when I dont get a playable hand?
 
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taban13

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In poker so often that you can not get good hands, but that's no excuse for losing concentration and the start to a bad game. Therefore, patience and discipline you for assistance.
 
JPoling

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I was playing a tournament today and i'm not shure if I played it completly wrong anyways the problem was that in an hour i did not get a better hand than TT or Kx (x being lower T). After na hour having less than 5bb I just shoved KT and lost to AA. What should in that situation when I dont get a playable hand?
Stop waiting for premium hands. Not saying play sloppy. But to say you never got anything better then TT or Kx? Yea, it happens. But there are also hands that turn into monsters . small PPs, suited connectors, etc. Don't always rely on getting KK, AK, AQ, AA, etc.
 
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rhombus

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I was playing a tournament today and i'm not shure if I played it completly wrong anyways the problem was that in an hour i did not get a better hand than TT or Kx (x being lower T). After na hour having less than 5bb I just shoved KT and lost to AA. What should in that situation when I dont get a playable hand?
the only thing wrong with shoving K10 with 5bbs was you got too low, you should be shoving when around 10 or less bbs as it gives you abit more chance that they will fold

As played you just got unlucky running into AA
 
dino

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change and adjust your strategy and try to play more aggressively and steal some pots.
 
ckingriches

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I think the OP is actually a pretty good one. It's easy to say that he needed to open up his game once we know that he was card dead for an hour. The problem with that advice is that you never know what the next hand will be.

When should a TAG player bail on his strategy and open up his range? Certainly long before your opponents have no fold equity. But what if you can't even find a decent spot to shove ATC? And who wants to go out with T-8 suited when QQ+ might be your next dealt hand?
 
stevenright

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5bb is easy shove with KT, unless someone shoved before you, then you have to considerate position and how many are to follow you
 
es530

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balance, everything works out in the end, I think you can give more attention to the players.
 
eidikos

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try to bluff more when you are in good position
shove when you have <15 bb
you cant get paid in all the tournaments you play
 
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Its normal at online poker if good cards always don't come along.

If you run with bad cards, have to bluff sometimes just to have a share of the pie/pot.
 
goaldriversv

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you probably waited too long to shove. when it gets down to about 10bb, you should check your position and shove with a wider range of hands to try to steal blinds. if you're in early position, then continue waiting for premium hands.
 
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tomnovember

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In poker so often that you can not get good hands, but that's no excuse for losing concentration and the start to a bad game. Therefore, patience and discipline you for assistance.

Can't agree with you more!!! There are so many times I decide to fold a premium hand to some player's preflop allin and then get QQ-AA/AK/AQ in next few hands. Thus I easily double my chips up.
 
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I am aware that I should have tried to steal some pots but the dynamics of the table did not allow that because no matter the raise there was someone that called.
 
rytciaq

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I am aware that I should have tried to steal some pots but the dynamics of the table did not allow that because no matter the raise there was someone that called.
C-bet them and get your stack bigger. Bluff and get your stack bigger. It happens that you don't get a lot of hands or you get a lot of AK AQ, but the flop completely misses you, sometimes you manage to win by stealing the blinds and bluffing, sometimes not. I'm sure it's not your first time not having a good hand in a tournament, I think it's your first time that you felt like you were sitting-out. No worries, next time should be different.
 
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Scorpio_x_9

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C-bet them and get your stack bigger. Bluff and get your stack bigger. It happens that you don't get a lot of hands or you get a lot of AK AQ, but the flop completely misses you, sometimes you manage to win by stealing the blinds and bluffing, sometimes not. I'm sure it's not your first time not having a good hand in a tournament, I think it's your first time that you felt like you were sitting-out. No worries, next time should be different.

You are right about the next time I just finished a tournament and came 2nd so I covered both BIs, but I still have a problem recognising when there is no way I could win, so I keep betting and loose the majority of my chips :/
 
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joe777

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Play more aggressively and try to steal some blinds in the middle phase.
 
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WiZZiM

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pick a spot to raise or make a move against a select opponant. You have to make things happen or else you will blind out often waiting for good cards. The other thing is, when you do actually get a hand, you are likely to get no action unless they also have very good hands. SO i suggest you open up a bit more, make a few moves earlier, i'm not saying just randomly bluff off all your chips, but open a little wider if an opportunity presents itself, 3bet a loose opener, anything to get that chip stack of yours in the upwards direction.
 
DaveE

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pick a spot to raise or make a move against a select opponant. You have to make things happen or else you will blind out often waiting for good cards. The other thing is, when you do actually get a hand, you are likely to get no action unless they also have very good hands. SO i suggest you open up a bit more, make a few moves earlier, i'm not saying just randomly bluff off all your chips, but open a little wider if an opportunity presents itself, 3bet a loose opener, anything to get that chip stack of yours in the upwards direction.

This^^

You don't have to play crazy but open raising from early to mid position will usually take down some uncontested pots. You'll look really nitty with all of the folding you've been doing which will buy you a ton of folds from your opponents.
 
es530

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Have to know, because you only have 5bb sometimes happens. but sometimes we play wrong; described in this case, 5bb have to push everything to the middle of the table. but try not to get to that point, because it's hard to drop someone a hand with some blinds, because it does not hurt the pocket of his opponent.
 
manolitosc

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I read in a book that poker is timming, you must be patient, play with position too, and the most important you don`t be on tilt.
 
razshahan

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Yesterday almost the same thing happened to me. I was playing 50c 360 player turbo on pokerstars . Blinds level increases after 3 min. I really got off to a good start. Started with 1500 chips and within 5 blind levels i had 6500+ chips. after that for the next half and hour my best hand was QTos and Kx (x below T) and 55 to below. and when i was in the late position somebody shoved before me. so there was no scope for me to steal any pot. Eventually the blinds and ante rose quite high and i had to shove left with 5 BB with KTos and got called by 88 . Didn't hit anything and busted out...:((
 
Jacki Burkhart

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I find that the tournaments where I have the best results are the ones where I am actually dealt average or BELOW average hands for the whole tournament. I think it is because it causes me to critically think about each spot, each situation and identify opportunities. Because I don't have "good cards" as a crutch to lean on, I have to manufacture my own +EV situations and the process keeps me sharp and on top of my table.

So, more than just simply saying "you must expand your range of playable hands" which is obviously true...you must expand your bag of tricks.

Until you get to the late stages of a tourney where everything is push fold...most hands do not go to showdown. USE THAT to your advantage to take away pots that don't belong to you. 3bet a LAG with 78s and imagine that it's AA. If the LAG happens to wake up with the top of his calling range, you've got a decent hand to be facing a premium hand with. But, usually the LAG will just lay down to you.

so...you MUST do this before you blind down to 10-15bb or less. Once stacks get low enough, you will definitely see more rivers, and the strength of your 2 cards matters more than ever.

If you notice a person is opening light a lot, 3bet them light when you have position. They'll hate playing out of position vs a perceived Nit's 3bet range and they'll most likely fold.

If you are in the blinds facing a LAG's raise, then you can either flat preflop with a wide range including speculative hands and then jam on the flop (stop n go) or you can 3bet all in preflop (depending on stack sizes of course).

If you hit a piece of the flop, and they are a LAG then check-raise them all in. it will be extremely hard for them to continue with less than 2 pair.

it's about a lot more than just the cards you are being dealt.
 
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As you get short stacked under 10 bb you can trade cards for position in the small blind or button use a small ball strategy only go all in ,you have nothing lose.
 
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rumsey182

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there is no such things as an unplayable hand more unplayable situation.

did you ever open fold the button with more then 30BB effective? did you fold a lot of CO's deep? did you actually give walks?

You don't need much to open late position
 
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rumsey182

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As you get short stacked under 10 bb you can trade cards for position in the small blind or button use a small ball strategy only go all in ,you have nothing lose.
this is just wrong you still have plenty to lose and should focus on a correct push fold strat
 
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