[tripdad]

i always rub the cards against my hot irish nuts before looking at them. that takes care of being card dead for awhile.

seriously though, the thing that helps me the most (and i do this before becoming card dead), is find out who is not defending their blinds as often as they should. these are the players that will keep me afloat the most when i am card dead. secondly, pay attention to which players buckle under pressure in post flop situations. i will enter pots with these people whenever i get a chance, and try to get them to fold their hand. i also keep track of other players who i think are paying attention to the same things. if i sense they are making a move preflop on a weak blind defender, or trying to isolate a weak postflop player, lots of times, i can come over the top with any 2 cards and take the pot without seeing a flop.