Long periods without a starting hand

[Dark Army]

This is something that happens to me over and over again during basically any poker tournament.

At some point during the first hour or so, I usually manage to win a few pots and put myself into a decent position.

Problem is, I usually run bad for a long time shortly after. It's like 15-30 hands in a row that aren't starting cards. And any cards I get that I could possibly start with, I'm out of position for those cards or there's too much action from the people acting before me.

So I get stuck for a long, long time doing nothing. It's like I can't do anything except fold. And when I'm in the BB, I hope that nobody raises so I can see a flop for as cheap as possible. So I end up playing mediocre cards from time to time, especially when I'm in position.

Meanwhile, there's some dude at the table with a massive stack and I'm wondering what exactly did he do to get all those chips. Did he get dealt good cards multiple times? Did he play so-so cards and get great flops and turns many times in a row? Or did he donk and suck out over and over again? Is he a really good player or is it just his lucky fukkin day? Sometimes I wish I could see his hand history just to know what the hell actually happened.

Then the inevitable happens. I get below 12 BB's where my only option is to fold or go all in. With some luck, I'll make the final table but then bust out in 9th or 8th place.

How do you deal with these long periods of being frozen by garbage cards?

 

[Gaviria8]

What's you opening range? 30 unplayable hands looks like your opening range is broken. It's not too probability to happen.

 

[smknginmaine]

Whenever I am suffering a long drought of no starting cards. I being to play. Boom 1st hand, starting cards. Problem solved.

 

[Dark Army]

What's you opening range? 30 unplayable hands looks like your opening range is broken. It's not too probability to happen.

Happens all the time man. Seriously. I go through my hand history in disbelief.

The cards are usually too far apart or the action is too strong by the players before me.

A 4 os early position
Q 3
J 5
10 6
10 7 os early position
So on and so forth

The other day I counted 30 hands without a face card having a kicker greater than an 8. And for those few hands that were like J 8 or Q 8, calling or raising just wasn't the play.

 

[Dark Army]

Whenever I am suffering a long drought of no starting cards. I being to play. Boom 1st hand, starting cards. Problem solved.

That's what I end up doing. Gotta play something, right?

Then what happens if you make a move on the flop or turn and it doesn't work? You're short stacked and hanging on.

 

[smknginmaine]

Good ending cards are harder to come by. But I'll take em over good starting cards. A happy ending beats starting nuts. Everytime

 

[RiverLord90]

 

[Dark Army]

I hear ya. I got tons of it. Just tired of making the final table with 10 BB's or less.

 

[playinggameswithu]

Open up your range in MTTs since the chips off the top are expendable just don't get too caried away.

 

[Dark Army]

Open up your range in MTTs since the chips off the top are expendable just don't get too caried away.

What do you mean by expendable chips?

 

[vov4ik]

I also have periods in the game of tournaments when I just fold my cards for an hour or more because I don’t receive a good card but small cards that don’t win come and that I have to fold within a few hours, that means I just tournament was not lucky and maybe in the next tournament I will receive a normal card and I will be able to win!

 

[VisionNutz]

Playing solely based on the cards in your hole is not going to get you very far.

Try to open up your game by making some steal plays and some re raises here and there.

Remember your opponents don't know what you have. So rep a big hand if you feel you've built an image and still need to flex some muscle at the table man.

Enjoy your card games

 

[playinggameswithu]

What do you mean by expendable chips?

They can be gotten rid of...just do not get carried away with it. The chips off the top of your MTT stack are basically pointless as they do not make nor break your tournament. So I use them to call gutshots on flops or small bets for implied odds someones stack. I also use the chips off the top to float opponents only in position to see if they are just c betting and giving up the hand on the turn. The chips on the bottom of your stack in an MTT stack are EXTREMELY important as you never know if you will have an up swing your next hand and end up winning the tournament for life changing money and are to be put in the middle with some serious consideration.

TL;DR Use the chips off the top of your stack as spending pocket money...just don't spew or do it high frequency.

 

[Inequitas]

Also Break the doldrums with playful banter.... example pic attachment...

Stop when fun stops or you're on Tilt...

 

[gryphon3005]

Playing solely based on the cards in your hole is not going to get you very far.

Try to open up your game by making some steal plays and some re raises here and there.

Remember your opponents don't know what you have. So rep a big hand if you feel you've built an image and still need to flex some muscle at the table man.

Enjoy your card games

I agree with the above. If you've sat there for an hour folding then one thing you have is a tight image. Use it. Don't challenge the big stack, make your plays from late position. Sure some folks get very lucky early and get to play a big stack. Most of the players in an MTT, though, have the same problem...too few good hands. So you must be prepared to use your image to gamble. If your arriving in the latter stages of mtts with 10 BBs then you need to pu more risk in your game.

 

[619Leafs]

The only thing I can offer is when you do have a good starting hand play it aggressively because you never know when you are going to another good starting hand.

 

[kdawg71]

I try not to think about it and play the cards that are dealt to me in whichever position I may be at during that time and play them to the best of my ability.

 

[hellomynameiswhat]

I agree with the above. If you've sat there for an hour folding then one thing you have is a tight image. Use it. Don't challenge the big stack, make your plays from late position. Sure some folks get very lucky early and get to play a big stack. Most of the players in an MTT, though, have the same problem...too few good hands. So you must be prepared to use your image to gamble. If your arriving in the latter stages of mtts with 10 BBs then you need to pu more risk in your game.

this person is totally right. You can't play only based of value hands.

 

[1k95]

3-bet and 4-bet in the cold will most likely be interpreted as a demonstration of extraordinary power on your part.
In the end, the last hour and a half you only did what you sent the cards to the table. Take a look at the situation from the side. If you saw one of the players, who had previously dropped everything, suddenly put a raise and reraise, on which range would you put it? That's it! Very strong!