"Card Dead" -- How do you deal with it?

[Bluffoon]

[ QUOTE ]
Yesterday playing B&M 4-8 w/ 1/2 kill.
Every so often, but seemingly more frequently than others, I'll have a session where I just get NO cards. This happened to me again yesterday. I bought in for a rack, played for about 2 hours and dragged exactly one hand, and that on a bluff. During that time, I had no pair larger that 7's, no Big Broadway suited or not, and suited aces twice, neither of which led anywhere. Finally down to just a few chips, I left. I play reasonably tight pre-flop, much like the recommendations in SSH for "loose" games.

The sad thing was, it was a great table. There were two mega-fish playing, limping and betting with anything, and dragging a lot of pots. It was a great opportunity, had I had anything.

I thought about re-buying, and that's really my question. But I had the thought that while I was coping, and understood that this stuff happens, I didn't want to lose another rack. I could easily afford another rack financially but I wasn't sure I could from an emotional standpoint.

I also could have switched tables, bought in like it was the start of the day, and gone on.

Does this happen to you with any frequency? And if so, how do you deal with it? Your ideas and help will be appreciated.

bill c

[/ QUOTE ]

I fold till I am so disgusted I can't stand it anymore and then I go have beer and I go home.

[toots]

I had one particularly brutal card dead session once in a B&M, playing at a particularly fishy table at particularly pointlessly low limits, for way longer than I should have.

I blinded/tilted off nearly a rack of chips before finally tossing the last handfull at the dealer in the form of toke - more or less to make up for the fact that I hadn't had an opportunity to toke all night.

I got up, and loudly proclaimed: "This game sucks! I'm never playing it again."

Everyone smiled, waved and said "See you next week."

They did.

[Bill C]

These have all been good replies, and very helpful. Sometimes it helps in understanding a problem, just to lay it out and let other people who know the situation help you. That worked here.

As you know, it's a lonely damned feeling when you are getting bad cards hand after hand in a limit game. Fortunately I am pretty tight, and I don't succumb to the temptation to start playing bad cards.

On the day in question, I was not feeling my best, physically, getting over a cold, and I guess that influenced me some. But as I think about it, it would have been a good time to rebuy and hang in there, had I felt better.

I absolutely believe in randomness, and not in "luck." But it is wierd how sometimes the bad cards string together (as also do the good ones!)

Thanks to all for the good and interesting comments!

bill c

[purnell]

As soon as you run out of patience, you are on tilt, at least to some degree. Cultivate your patience. Works for me.

[Dominic]

how do i deal with it?

I fold.

there. Problem solved.

[tripdad]

if it is a tourney, i pick out the 2 tightest players at the table, and attack their blinds.

if it is a cash game, i wait for cards for the most part, but will loosen up my raising requirements somewhat if the blinds are eating me up. this really only happens when i play limit, which is very rarely these days.

cheers!

[Dave H.]

I pat myself on the back for having learned to discipline myself. I truly believe that this attribute coupled with an appropriate amount of skill is what separates the winners from the losers. It's discipline that allows me to get through that horrible run of bad cards or those bad beat times without tilting.

Just think of those times when you played it differently, i.e. when you said "The hell with it, I DESERVE to play, cards or no cards", and you proceeded to lose much more than you should have. How did you feel after doing that? How many times did you kick yourself for being so stupid? And how long did it take you to make up the $$ which you should never have lost with the proper discipline.

So PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK for having made it through that bad run of cards and for having played correctly! I commend you for it!