How do you play when you get nothing

InsaneGuy

And I mean Nothing (note the capital N)

I was playing a 3 w rebuys and all wen really well for the first 8 hands, won 2 major all ins and I was well over 8k in chips.

Then... it died. And I mean, died. The best hand I received in the next 30 hands was A10 and got 2 all ins after my raise so I folded (good decision one of them had AA)

I had my share of 72, 94, K3, A5, etc

Basicly for a major part of the tournament I was a folding station, I mean you can't call a raise when you have J4 can you?

I finally got my best hand and received pocket 4 (not really a premium hand eh) and went all-in with 2 callers (I was down to less than 3k chips at that point) and won with a full house... and then it was over.

So... when you really have nothing to play with, how do you manage to win?
This happens to me ALOT I'll get a spree of 2-3 good hands then a dry season that last for a while like forever then I'm pretty much forced to go all-in at one point with some bellow average hand otherwise my tournament life would be over.

Any advice? Should I play hands like 95 or 10-3 and hope that somethng happens and bluff ?

I'm lost and I don't know what to do... it's been really really frustrating lately as it seems I haven't been able to do well in any tournament ... I'll do really well at the beginning then cards stop coming in for too long to be able to get back on my feet.

moose

You've got two unknown cards and your chips. That's plenty. Ignore your cards and play your position and your opponents.

blackmagicz

Start playing position and use your stack to pick on the mid stacks....I have found lately to help my game I sit on PS and FT and watch the pros from start to finish in a tourney....you can see for the most part they show down premium or the winner without bluffing any pots, but then the hands they are the most aggressive with it seems they are pushing in position against smaller stacks.

I watched Vanessa Rousso play the other night on the 100K guarenteed on PS and she played I think maybe 30 hands the whole game. But a few times when I was playing along with her she was re-stealing on the BB and re-raising a raiser all in.

I highly doubt she had the nuts on those hands but she is also going on the basis that most people don't want to put their whole tourney life at stake with a mid pair or A-rag, which most people tend to raise with.

Its a combination of picking on the tigher players, playing a little small ball (getting in those limped pots with the mediocre hands) and then betting out representing something.

I find when I have a chip stack I start to raise anywhere from Mid to late position if the table is tight, obviously laying down the hands if I get a hard re-raise but for the most part you get a lot of respect and its just a matter of keeping up with the blinds.

You also have to remember when you are leading the pot in position (IE raise PF) about 65% the board is checked to you where you can throw out the C-Bet. Most guys will call only if they are on a draw and you have to fire another barrel on the turn to get them out. C-raising also works really well when the Button tries to steal from you or late position. I have done that several times when you have a 3 or 4-1 chip lead on someone.

Watch the table dynamics and switch gears...you will be surprised how many chips you can pick up by being aggressive on and off during the mid-late stages of a tourney....

InsaneGuy

So basicly if you've got position you'd play hands like K3 and raise it up to try to steal blinds / calls preflop and if it doesn't work you go again with some big bet on the flop ?

I'm not a bad poker player but there's so much to learn to really excel at this game and make more final tables... In big tournament I've been there twice (4th and 6th) but other than SnG I've never been able to finish in the top 3 or even win an MTT which is obiviously my main objective.

I'm trying to find that little edge that's missing from my game that would just make me win those big pots I miss.
Basicly I need help

DrTyore

Have you read many books on tournament play?

The Harrington series (Harrington on Hold'em v I, II, III) are excellent. I've also heard Sklansky has a great one too with Melmuth I believe (Advanced tournament play or something).

When you're just card dead, you have to try and make things happen as others say, however, with regards to MTT's... you can't make the final table on all of them!

Mark

InsaneGuy

Hmm nope haven't read any book, but it's a good idea and I'll see if I can find them online somewhere (it's hardly impossible to find english books in quebec)

I know I won't be able to win every tournaments that would be just false hope but I know for a fact that I can do better than what I do right now...

I've been playing for a little over 5 years now and it seems like I've hit a stalling point where nothing really happens.

moose

Definitely spend the money on the Harrington series. Pay attention to the parts on inflection points. Very few people understand when are the key points in the tournament, knowing when to make the right moves is critical.

InsaneGuy

Books ordered!
Should get em next week. Thanks for the tips!

Anyone playing on the sunday hundred grand on stars this weekend?
I'll look for names