What to do when you can't find a hand to play?

[Aneubis]

Playing two tables,$25NL, at Party last night I went through a stretch of about 150 hands without getting any part the flop. Nothing better than bottom pair, it got to be really frustrating. Finally gave up and quit. Was really tempted to loosen up and play hands that I wouldn't normally play, i.e Ax, Kx suited, any 1-2-3 gap suited connectors,just because I was bored. What do you do when you hit a dry spell? Take a break? Struggle through it? This is the hardest part of my game, just sitting at the table watching, folding hand after hand. My bankroll didn't take much of a hit other than the blinds, which is good. I guess I'm improving, because six months ago I would have pissed it away chasing anything. Anybody got any advice or stories about how they handle it?

[adamstewart]

I recently discovered my ability to multi-table... I've found that takes care of any prolonged dry spell.

And as someone mentioned before on a previous thread (sorry, I forget who), multi-tabling is a great way to overcome boredom-induced-tilt.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
multi-tabling is a great way to overcome boredom-induced-tilt.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, but its also bad for when you play live or try to play one table. You are so used to multi tablng it becomes almost impossible to concentrate and play correctly.....at least for me

[csuf_gambler]

i just open up more tables. you only had 2 tables open, which means you should have 2 more tables going.

[pokerjo22]

I find that when I get bored playing, stopping playing often relieves the boredom. It works for lots of things. If you're bored doing something, stop and go do something less boring. Sometimes, I even stop and go and do something exciting. Works for me every time.

[GuidoSarducci]

Uhhh... Yeah.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
What do you do when you hit a dry spell?

[/ QUOTE ]

Fold a lot.

[Nottom]

[ QUOTE ]
Fold a lot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats pretty much it. Pretty much why I love multi-tabling, even if I fold 100 hands thats only like 15-20 min instead of a few hours at a B&M.

[GoSox]

Church.

[MicroBob]

you might be playing a bit on the weak-passive side....but that is still MUCH better than loosening up out of boredom.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes, I even stop and go and do something exciting. Works for me every time.



[/ QUOTE ]


indeed...this is exactly what i do as well. although there is a certain shortage of truly exciting things to do in memphis.
but i lead a relatively uncomplicated lifestyle.
going down to the deli to get a sandwich is pretty exciting for me.

regardless of the excitement-level in your particular area....i find this advice to be most straight-forward and easy to follow. in spite of its obviousness i thank you for sharing this most accurate information with the forums.

[gibs]

[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
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multi-tabling is a great way to overcome boredom-induced-tilt.


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I agree, but its also bad for when you play live

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree on this. Live poker is far more entertaining than playing online. There's so much more to do. You get to watch the other people at your table, listen to the converstations, or initiate one of your own, try to pick up on tells, etc. Far more entertaining than just staring at a computer screen. For these reasons, spending two hours playing live seems like nothing, while playing two hours online can seem like an eternity.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
For these reasons, spending two hours playing live seems like nothing, while playing two hours online can seem like an eternity.


[/ QUOTE ]


for me it is pretty much vice-versa. and i am a relatively social person.
i just don't like playing live too much although it can be okay occasionally.


i don't have a problem with playing too many hands live though like alobar. although i can understand this.

i just look at the cards and my position and usually that is enough to make a determination whether to play or not (unless i am playing the player like isolating a maniac or something). if i fold then i'll chat with the dude next to me or get a drink or watch the action of the hand or watch the game on TV or try finding a half-decent cocktail waitress to gawk at (which can be kind of tough sometimes).

but this does not mean that there i think there are plenty of things to do.
these are things i do because it is so freaking boring and these are my only options.

[Aneubis]

I have only played online so far, so I don't know if I would get as bored playing live or not. I am worried I am playing to tight and passive though. I did notice the few hands that I raised with preflop had the whole table fold without any further action. I'm thinking I should have moved to a different table. My play can be a bit unimagitive at times too. I'm still unsure as to when to mix up my play. Still learning.

[Cerril]

I'm glad this thread was already here.

I had the misfortune to have this happen to me at a B&M place. Four hours and I played three hands to the flop (two were questionable because I was cold calling or reraising a raise, even though it was a raise from a maniac), never saw a turn (too many people in, and yes the flops were that ugly... one suit, three to a straight that was nowhere near me, that sort of thing), and the one pot I 'took' was folded to me in the BB. (woo! I win nothing, since the house takes the SB).

I think the only thing that kept me playing well was that I wouldn't have caught any hand except a trap on the flop. (i.e. top pair, no kicker or something otherwise terrible).

At the same time I'd come with a friend so I couldn't just leave, there was nowhere to go really, and I didn't want to spend money eating or (worse) drinking when I didn't feel like either.

The real question you have to resolve is making sure you know you aren't playing too tight. After that it's just waiting for the bad cards to go away.

[SuitedSixes]

I work on my PokerTracker stats. I like seeing my V$IP numbers go down.

[OrangeHeat]

Open up the porn and "relax" yourself.

Orange