Can't find cards. Stay patient or change strategy.

Pysterman

Scenario: I'm sitting at a 5p/10p cash table (6 players). The table is playing like a limpathon. Most modest raises are being called by anyone with connection to the board. People are shoving all-in with top pair. Etc, etc, you get the idea.

So... I'm trying to wait for good cards and/or good position to get involved. But I can hardly find any cards.

What's more frustrating is that when I DO find a starting hand, either...

a) I miss the flop and any attempt at a c-bet bluff is called so I have to give up. (A few have gone to showdown if I've maybe hit 2nd pair, and they've always had me beat.)

b) I hit the flop, bet out, and run into a better hand. (e.g. I flopped 2 pairs, small stack shoved and showed a set).

c) I raise pre on the button with a marginal hand (after being limped to) and one of the limpers re-raises or shoves, forcing me to fold.

In 90 hands at the table, I've picked up just 2 pots over 50p. However, I'm not a massive amount down, mainly due to playing so few hands and having to fold most of the ones I do get involved with.

So far, I'm staying patient, trying not to get tilty and start playing hands I shouldn't. However, I think I may be tilting slightly in the sense that I might be now playing TOO tight as I just expect to lose when I get involved.

What is your advice?

Should I just stick to my normal game and be patient. Should I up the aggression? Should I walk away and find another table, even though I feel I should have an edge at this one?

salad24

Take a break, move tables, start playing your game again.

jugglegeek

I would leave the table. Not because you can't beat the game there. You probably can. But prolonged exposior to runs of dead cards at a table like this will put most players on some sort of tilt. If you are getting the hands at a table like this then the thing to do is raise huge for value and love it. However when you are looking at J2, 82 etc for 90 hands then you can have a tendancy to pick up a hand like 99 and push it too hard on a Q-high flop or something and go broke thinking "well he can't really have it this time". If you have the patience then sit and wait for hands to stack someone with and play the odd random hand to hit big on the flop. Play you 97s with a raise pre with the mind that if you don't hit a straight or a flush then you are going to fold (pairs don't count) you will probably just miss but this way it doesn't look like you are folding everything that isn't aces or kings.

AcidMan27

If you're rolled for it and can play more than one at once then open up more tables.

Stops you getting bored playing ABC poker at these levels.

pod1

multi tabling always helps. get to about 6 tables and your playing at least 1 hand (i am anyhows!)
other option is to play position rather than cards (ob not all the time) but you will/can pick up a few blinds and a few limpers to boot,

grantorino

stay patient and stay at table unless you are tilting

You can possibly open up your opening range to include more hands that flop good TP

rancid

In Response to Re: Can't find cards. Stay patient or change strategy.:

stay patient and stay at table unless you are tilting You can possibly open up your opening range to include more hands that flop good TP
Posted by grantorino

+1

looking at flop happy hands, top end straights/flushes

don't join the crazyiness though