How to play tournaments when youre always dealt garbage cards

[haystack]

just play tag -tight aggressive and there will be times when you can bluff use your table image it will work.

 

[Amanda A]

Yes I sympathize, it sucks to sit there for hours and look at 83o, 72, J5o k2 etc etc. It's just about picking the best spots you can, so that's a combination of your hand strength, your position and who's in the hand and how many are in the hand, their stack size and playing style etc. and how you should play the hand considering all that - often aggression can work against a tight player when you have position but sometimes when you have been folding a lot a min raise from utg looks deadly and you can take it down. Just depends on the perception of those around you. Try and tune in to that. Sometimes its easier than others.

 

[Goldog]

The tournament is more about flow. Sure cards help. But they’re not all that.

Position and frequency are equally important. Obviously there’s more. Understanding the dynamics and table image help fill in the gaps. Hint. We don’t get better cards.

 

[radartodd69]

I think some games are like bad fireworks. You light the fuse and it doesn't go off. You get too many of these dud games and it really saps your bankroll never mind your confidence. Just try to remember there is always another game with better cards coming. It's very frustrating though.

 

[duson]

As others have said, your table image will be tight so you can steal blinds from time to time but the main thing you should consider is opening your calling range from late position. It doesn't always have to be a premium pair or something of that nature if you're the button and it's folded to you.

 

[LuisBoaC]

Be patient and look for your spots. If you have over 20BB I'd say you're not in any hurry to make a move so keep folding your trash and watch the game.
However you could be missing good steal opportunities, for example:
9-handed, blinds 15/30, everyone has 15-25 BB, you're on the button and have folded the last 10 hands, SB has folded the last 9 and BB the last 12, you have 79o - raise 3BB, you'll probably pick up the blinds, if you get called or re-raised you can happily get away fom the hand without having hurt your tourney equity much.
This is just one simple example but hopefully starts to show how, when and why you should widen your range.

 

[agriggy]

This is my biggest struggle in tournament poker, i am just always dealt awful hands. It can get frustrating to watch other people getting decent cards and actually hitting the flop. Like some dude flopped a royal flush and 2 went all in for him.
Does anyone else experience tourneys like this where you cant to hit a flop or get something good pre flop and what do you do about it?

All the time, be patient and cards will come along with the chips.

 

[gryphon3005]

I've learned to expect bad runs that seem to go longer and deeper than anyone would expect. The bad runs also sometimes carry over to more than one tournament. When that happens I stop entering games and once my current one is done I pack it in and take a few days off. Seems to work for me.

 

[John bruce]

Do you consider 53s,42s,75s,56s,76s,78s,8Ts, small pocket pairs trash hands?

I play all these hands. I used to be too tight four tourneys. I had to loosen up a bit. Look at tonight on CC free roll. My last 41 hands at the final table was junk like 9,3 or 8,2. I bet I gota 2,3 in 90% of those hands with a five or higher card. None suited. So it does happen. Best if it happens early in a tourney than later. Stuff happens and there is always tomorrow.

 

[John bruce]

sometimes we have to risk and bet everything without having anything at all and hope to win it is part of the game of poker as the saying goes: whoever risks nothing has nothing also in the same sense: no risk no pleasure

Are these the same people who say poker is 90% luck 10 percent skill in any given day. 10% luck 90% skill in a year. Like to see how this is even mathematically possible. Be patient and how more the best. You see weakness take a stab.

 

[Gaviria8]

That's simply, you get garbage cards you fold, that's easy!

 

[whosdaboss25]

I think your looking to react back at people in this post and not to except an answer from anyone from what I see so far in this post. There are some good answers in here to your problem if your just read some of the post and take them in I like sominginmaines post.
he is a great player. Personaly I would open in late position with some of those hands that some of those people quoted earlier in the tourney 56s, 67s, 89s,9Ts,JTs and so on see a flop and if people got out of hand and if the flop got disconnected with me let it go of course if you know your odds at even cashing in a MTT which is your only going to cash in 15% of the MTT's you play in at all and that is the top players playing in the world of MTT's and you will only FT about 1.5% MTT's which the top MTT Pro in the world period and only win .5% of those FT's made which is the best online tourney player today Parker Talbalit or Tonkaaaa as he is known online than think what your win rate is going to be and be happy and have fun just playing in the online MTT and having fun is the key.

 

[wsbar]

You're playing the wrong game, poker is a game of people and bets, search google about poker players who played tournaments and made the final table without looking at their own cards. You have to keep in mind that what happens to you also happens to me and the other players. If the deck does not give you a good card, try to use other weapons in poker, take advantage of the final position when no one bets before you, apply bets stating that you have a giant hand in final positions when the blinds are high. When you are playing a pot against an opponent only, and you are not hit on the flop, check, remember that your opponent may also not have hit the flop and he will want to steal the pot by applying a bet, raise the bet show him that you are bigger than him, but do not do it too often, and remember to do it against an opponent only, and apply this strategy sporadically.

 

[makisaa]

I understand the situation because I play tournaments. When you dealt low cards, I think you must focus to the game and be patient. It is very annoying anyway because it looks like the software plays each player!

 

[miktux]

This is my biggest struggle in tournament poker, i am just always dealt awful hands. It can get frustrating to watch other people getting decent cards and actually hitting the flop. Like some dude flopped a royal flush and 2 went all in for him.
Does anyone else experience tourneys like this where you cant to hit a flop or get something good pre flop and what do you do about it?

I was thinking the same, i try to focus and change the way i watch whats happening. Even if they winning big pots i know they not gonna make it to final table. Im just trying to get stack good enough for that level of tournament and i think its a key to final table. Becouse whats happening in late stages one min i can have small stack few better hands and i feeling strong enough to just keep folding and wait for good hands to play ofc sometimes stealing blind and when they call i can shot another barrel and win more then blinds.just need to know when to fold. Sometimes i dont shot 3barrel and lose becouse get sceared.

 

[Flight777sem]

Just try to keep it tight. Patience will bring to you good cards too as everyone

 

[cptmyk713]

What are some good ways to play when you miss the flop? I generally play it safe and fold

I would try and practice playing any two cards early in the tournament when the blinds are smallest. Pick your spot. If it gets folded around to you in the cut off or button, raise to about 2.5x or 3x the binds. Look at the flop. If the flop is dry (2c7s Jd) and you are heads up vs only 1 villain, bet about 1/3 the pot. The villain may see this as either weak or strong. There is actually no way to predict how your opponent will interpret your bet sizing. Remember, this thought process works both ways. Your opponent doesn't know how you are thinking either. You may need to fire a second bullet on the turn. About 1/2 the pot.
From my understanding it is best to bet small more frequently on dry boards. But large less frequently on wet boards that are connected or 2 suited.

Good luck.

 

[Manifestor]

The last tournament was exactly that, the whole card that I came across was rubbish, and in the end I had an ace with a seven of the same suit, after which I went all in and lost, but I noticed that this was not your day, or play another tournament, and things get better maybe try to play aggressively but such tactics do not always go through, so be careful

 

[LotharMcDowner]

Try opening your range a bit, start playing Ace anything if you arent already. Mix it up with some weak hands in late position and try to steal a few pots with aggressive betting. There are points in nearly every tournament where you seem to go card dead... just gotta either have enough chips to wait it out, or get aggressive and see what happens.
As far as watching other people get dumped chips... totally frustrating especially when youre fighting for any hand or chip that comes your way. Have to center yourself and just get over it.

 

[CptRunBad]

Fold. Or play against players who can bluffed. Those are really the only 2 options.

 

[WhiskeyFix]

Try ICMizer.

It’s a Pre-Flop Push Fold Calculator for finding out the best plays in SNG/MTT.

Ive started to use it before I play any tournament to warm up.

Hope it helps!

 

[abyk]

Stay patient, and hope you get something good. Keep folding, unless blinds are up, then you are left with no choice.

 

[Tbone461]

What are some good ways to play when you miss the flop? I generally play it safe and fold

I try and pay close attention to my opponents bet sizing post flop. If you can watch what percentage of the pot they bet when they hit and when they miss. Take notes because a lot of players have tendencies and habits that you can take advantage of when you hit. This is what I like to do when I'm card dead, it helps keep me interested in the game

 

[Vorem]

If this is a turbo tournament, then you need to choose the right moments for the game Push-Fold
If the ordinary structure - you need patience)

 

[ozaloa]

You would need to fold most of your hands when you are dealt just crap cards all the time,especially in early positions.But that doesn't mean you should just sit and wait for the good hands.Because you don't know if you will ever get a good hand.Even if you get good hands doesn't mean you will definitely win that hand.So you should anyway try to do your best,at least in late positions.You can now and then try to steal the blinds and bluff to survive.And you can just limp some of the hands to try to catch a good hand and trap your opponents.Otherwise just waiting for good hands can end up with disappointment and failure.