Are you sometimes destined to not get anywhere in a tourney?

[PocketKings]

I just got back from a 30 person tournament. Most of the people were casual players so I felt I had a good shot of getting in the money at least (since I actually study the game and play a lot more than them.) Instead, I went out early because the blinds eventually got to me (I was forced to go all-in with K-9 suited while I got called by someone with A-Q).

I don't feel I was playing too tight--I felt like I just had bad cards. I had pocket aces early on and won about 300 chips (we started with 1500.) After that, it was all downhill. Lots of cards like 10-5, K-3, etc. People told me I should have bluffed more but with relatively loose players, it's hard to bluff knowing there's a good chance they'll call you with anything.

So my question is, are there times where you play as well as you can but you still get nowhere in a tournament? I'm not talking about having put your chips in the middle with the best hand and having someone outdraw you. I mean just not getting enough cards to the point where you lose to the blinds (e.g. are forced to go all in when you don't want to.)

PK

[Fortune 500]

Poker is a game of skill.... in the long term. In the short term, though... luck's a bitch.

We're slaves to the random deck and the cards we're dealt, and sometimes, you just can't make anything happen. At a loose table more so than a tight table, you're trapped by your cards: You're exactly right: it's hard to put a bluff or move on someone who will call anything. The only thing I could suggest is try to limp and see more flops, and try to outplay them post flop. Of course if they're both loose and aggressive, that can get you too.

So yes... Sometimes, you're just destined to lose.

[ihategnomes]

Live blind structures can suck and turn a lot of tournaments into a crapshoot. You started with 1500 in chips, what did the blinds start out at?

[PocketKings]

The blind structure wasn't too bad actually. We played starting at 10/20 with increases every 20 minutes (similiar to Poker Stars.) I felt like there should have been enough hands to get something but I seriously felt like there were few times if any I could make any significant move. Maybe I should have played some more marginal hands (Q-10 in the face of a raise, etc).

[ihategnomes]

Pokerstars counts your chips for you, speed deals, etc. You figure if the blinds are like 20 minutes, and you are being dealt 1/2 to 1/3 of the hands you normally get per hour, your still looking at a turbo like situation. There is a $25rebuy in my home town. They start you with 500 chips 250 chip rebuys, blinds start at 10/20 and they move every 10 minutes. Needless to say, I still attend, but only to clean up the cash games that people start after busting in such a crazy blind structured event.

[ender555]

you know i had this problem too before i started playing online poker when m ygame developed. I think that after 20-30 minutes you can see whos weak/passive and then pick on them. I know i saw a few guy's there that were just complete pussy's. On the other hand there are also guy's that are complete rambo's and you can really bank off them too. at some point in a tourny i think you need to really decide what you're playing for and go for it. if you aren't getting the cards and you want the win start playing aggressive position rags and i fu get called oh well.. at least you made an effort :P