How to handle casino card deadness? (1 Viewer)

[krafticus]

So, my question for tonight:
I've played at Maryland live 3 times in the last few months, and I am finding the same thing. Over these sessions, I've been outrageously card dead. I'm not sure what to do. I guess I can get up and just leave, but heck, why go.

Tonight, I played for 4 hours, got 2 pocket pair, AQ 3 times (won twice ), AJ and A 10 twice each (lost all of those ). But never got AK. I paid close attention to positon, and played better.... for a while, but just couldn't get anything working. Suited face cards... low flop. Suited mid connectors. . All paint. Flopped 2 pair 2 times on a monosuited board. I even got coolered with my Q9 (In the blind) ran into a limped AQ on a QQ 10 flop.

Anyway, it seems that lately, cards are coming, cards aren't hitting, and I can't rep a damn thing either.

What do you do when not a damn thing works your way, and the cards suck pretty hard.

 

[Wils]

Stop for a while? Obviously this won't affect your "luck" with the cards but it might prevent you making rash decisions if you keep at it.

Basically do whatever you need to do to avoid losing your gaming head.

 

[slisk250]

So, my question for tonight:
I've played at Maryland live 3 times in the last few months, and I am finding the same thing. Over these sessions, I've been outrageously card dead. I'm not sure what to do. I guess I can get up and just leave, but heck, why go.

Tonight, I played for 4 hours, got 2 pocket pair, AQ 3 times (won twice ), AJ and A 10 twice each (lost all of those ). But never got AK. I paid close attention to positon, and played better.... for a while, but just couldn't get anything working. Suited face cards... low flop. Suited mid connectors. . All paint. Flopped 2 pair 2 times on a monosuited board. I even got coolered with my Q9 (In the blind) ran into a limped AQ on a QQ 10 flop.

Anyway, it seems that lately, cards are coming, cards aren't hitting, and I can't rep a damn thing either.

What do you do when not a damn thing works your way, and the cards suck pretty hard.

Sounds a bit like what I've been running into. I also just step away for a few days. I cook some nice food for the wife and then that frees up other card time. Play some video games. With cheat codes I can kick some *ss.

 

[Ghoti]

3 sessions is a really small sample size. Keep at it--things will turn around soon enough. Just don't let it negatively affect your play.

 

[MikesDad]

You might consider posting some specific hands here for analysis

 

[detroitdad]

3 sessions is a really small sample size. Keep at it--things will turn around soon enough. Just don't let it negatively affect your play.

I was going to say the same thing.

Maybe your "range" is to tight? Open it up a little when your in position.

 

[links_slayer]

just jam blind and hope for the best?

j/k

hang in there mark. i think we've all been there.

 

[Mr Tree]

Personally I've found when it's going bad like this the trick is more about keeping your losses at a minimum than "turning it around" and getting back in the green. Keep making good decisions and don't press to make it up.

 

[jbutler]

I think this sort of thing calls into you have to laugh or else you'll cry category. When you're card dead for absurd amounts of time, eventually it turns from "wtf is going on" to "lol can't wait to see myself get 94o for the sixth time this hour".

One night at Borgata years ago I was extraordinarily card dead for a ridiculous amount of time and I ended up typing into a text message every preflop hand for about 3 hours and sent it to either berg or courage and loled about it.

 

[courage]

lol, I remeber, Jack. Thot you were making it up at first.

Fair points by all. For me the key is emotional control. Probability and math don't care if you feel overdue for rungood. Keep calm and donk on. Think about villain hands you're observing and their tendencies. Try to learn and have fun.

 

[krafticus]

Thanks all. Again, not really strategy or opening my range, just dealing with 73, 94, 10 2 , K4 all night.

My biggest win of the evening was with J2dd, when I rivered the flush.

The worst play by a villain...and my last hand...I raise to 12 otb with 99. 2 callers. Flop is KJ7. I cbet to $15, 1 caller. Turn is 3. I fire again for $30 is, he calls. River 5. He leads for $10. I cry call, he has 53 for 2 pair.... I had a wtf moment, and left the table.

Edit: fixed the river card...

 

[Puggy]

I don't play much live (most online), but IMO you pretty much have to play it through. And do something that takes your mind out from the game.
Exercise, have a lot of horizontal mambo, eat healthy.

While playing, move down in stakes for a while. And if you are able to play online (dunno if you have that possibility at the US currently,
have not followed the latest news), play with play money or very low stakes and raise every darn single pot you play.
Play uber aggressive play money / micro stakes game.

Eventually things will turn to better, you start getting hands, flops hit. Before you know it, the circle is positive again.

 

[DrStrange]

Patience is your friend. Trying to 'force' bad cards to becomes winners is going to lead to losses.

Most casino villains are not that observant. The table churn makes this even worse. You can't rep a hand based on folding the last 30 hands because almost no one remembers that happening (or wasn't at the table then).

Stay the course. If your patience wears thin - then its time to take a break or go home.

DrStrange

 

[Quicksilver-75]

Card dead at a poker table just requires time. Card dead at table games is another thing. I like the let it ride, holdem bonus and carribean stud games. I get very suspicious when everybody at the table goes card dead at the same time for extended runs. I don't like the automatic shufflers. I get especially nervous when you get an experienced dealer that shuffles by hand and can keep a table pinned down.

 

[k9dr]

Change games - it is very easy to be card dead at NLH. You get a lot more playable hands at Omaha or O8.

 

[bergs]

I've never been card dead. The dealer always gives me exactly the same number of cards as everyone else. I don't understand what everyone is talking about here.

 

[guinness]

Yes your sample size is LOL. There are people who go card dead for many more hours for continuous days in a row. I recently had a 6 hour session without a single pocket pair or big Ace and it does feel surreal as session time progresses, but I moved to another table for a few more hours (luckily it was a must move) and things shook off. I was kicking myself because as Strange pointed out, I started trying to make something with nothing and it both hurt my stacks and table image. Other players in a session will never care or perceive your stories as card dead victim, they'll just think you're a mark who can't play the more frustrated you become.

Just get up and move to another table and don't force a "things will change here dammit" attitude, a story I know all too well. The act of moving to a new table will reboot your mind. If no tables are opening up then switch a seat. Its taken me many years to do this and only recently have I developed the discipline to execute it. Cards will still be random, but at least you'll settle into a new cockpit.

 

[bmichaelhorn]

I think it's really easy to get card dead playing live since so few hands are dealt. Sometimes I'll make myself play at least one hand per orbit so I don't appear like a rock or just disengage. It becomes kind of a meta game for me thinking ok, should I play this one gapper in position or try to wait for a better spot but risk being oop with an even worse hand? I find it makes me play more strategically, probably balances my range and makes a live session more interesting. The trick is to stay relatively un-invested in the hands while waiting for good spots...try to keep pots small etc.

 

[lherron]

All good suggestions so far.

It all comes down to patience and discipline. To stay positive, keep reminding yourself that the randomness always comes back around to your favor eventually. If you ever feel like you're not playing your best poker because you're impatient or pissed off or bored, get up and take a break. Otherwise keep focusing on every new hand and playing good poker. Try to take advantage of any exploitable images you may have at the table... if you're "the dude that keeps getting coolered", or "the guy who hasn't raised PF in 2 hours"... these are images you may be able to use to your advantage. Make sure you understand how you're perceived by the rest of the table (as you should always do).

 

[Anthony Martino]

Can't believe no one has mentioned playing blind. Just choose a hand to play completely blind and in your mind convince yourself that your hand is XX and play it accordingly. You'll be surprised how this can help you pay more attention to other players, their betting patterns, physical tells and the absolute power of aggression and position (oh yeah, play in position when you do it)

Since you've been card dead, hopefully some folks have noticed it, so you may get credit for stronger holdings. #TheCardsDon'tMatter

 

[tommythecat]

I don't play much live (most online), but IMO you pretty much have to play it through. And do something that takes your mind out from the game.
Exercise, have a lot of horizontal mambo, eat healthy.

While playing, move down in stakes for a while. And if you are able to play online (dunno if you have that possibility at the US currently,
have not followed the latest news), play with play money or very low stakes and raise every darn single pot you play.
Play uber aggressive play money / micro stakes game.

Eventually things will turn to better, you start getting hands, flops hit. Before you know it, the circle is positive again.

Did you say Horizontal Mambo?

I went card dead for about 2 years. Couldn't put a winning session together to save my life. Some nights were really bad decisions because I was getting pissed at the complete lack of decent starting hands. Some nights I minimized my losses by playing smarter or ending the session early when I saw that I was still being dealt crap. Tried playing in different games/casinos with no luck. Stopped playing for a little while and even that didn't help. Eventually my cards got better, but my game had suffered quite a bit because I started playing like the cards I was getting...shit. That is the biggest hurdle to overcome in my opinion...not changing your game to suit the cards.

 

[DrStrange]

One of the things that make a player into a "big winner" is they lose less money during bad runs than other players.

DrStrange

 

[Puggy]

One of the things that make a player into a "big winner" is they lose less money during bad runs than other players.

DrStrange

Wise Words Sir.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Just invite me next time you play and if you're still card dead you can at least be entertained watching me splash around.

 

[MrBo]

Host more home games so you can at least run bad from the comfort of your own home

 

[inca911]

I use the time to study the players, and try to pick up on any tells/ideosyncrasies/tendencies. Try predicting their holdings, and get confirmation at showdowns. Maybe you will notice that someone is eating their oreos when they have the nuts! ;-)

If others have characterized you as extremely tight player (and this is obvious to you), you can also pick up a pot here and there with a well placed bet against the right player(s). I often select a single card trigger to ensure I'm trying to steal at least 4% of the pots when running cold (e.g., if I have 9C, I will take a stab at the pot). By watching the table, your goal is to determine which players are susceptible to these plays, so you don't make the move against an immovable player.