Heads-up against aggressive players

11-30-2005, 12:14 AM

Post Number: 1 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

Mattastic

Spammers beware!!

Approved

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Under your skin

Posts: 872

Shouts:

Credits: 3.55

Heads-up against aggressive players

Just wondered what ou guys do when heads-up at the end of a tourney / SnG etc when the BB is aggressive and raises any of you calls from the SB.

Just finished 2nd in a $5 SnG where my playable but not monster hands were raised everytime when I called from SB and even my raises to mix up things were raised. When I did hit a great hand I played strongly and got rivered, typical!

Just wondered what your defence is against someone who will raise anything heads-up.

11-30-2005, 12:18 AM

Post Number: 2 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

1337 Sn1p3r

Full House

Approved

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: Pittsburgh

Posts: 745

Shouts:

Credits: 23.11

I feel in heads up - the aggreser is likely to win. In cases when your oppenent is doing to raising constantly, you have to pick a good hand and re-raise to earn respect. Form there you start pushing him back and hopefully taking him out.

__________________

-Snipe or be Sniped-

I am Unisin

11-30-2005, 12:22 AM

Post Number: 3 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

KONG

Banned

Join Date: Nov 2005

Location: Dublin,Ireland

Posts: 41

Shouts:

Credits: -20

The weak of heart get steam rolled with extreme prejudice in heads-up poker. You have two ways of winning a pot - you show the best hand or your opponent folds. You know in the poker books where they talk about playing poker without even looking at their hands? That's the value of aggression right there. Imagine that you DON'T see your hands and NEITHER does your opponent. In this scenario, the mathematical implication is that you will win 50% of your showdowns long term. What does this mean then? You need to cause your opponent to fold more often then you do. There is thus only one viable poker strategy - bet and raise.

11-30-2005, 12:22 AM

Post Number: 4 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

Mattastic

Spammers beware!!

Approved

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Under your skin

Posts: 872

Shouts:

Credits: 3.55

Maybe heads up I'm not aggressive enough. Usually I play tight aggressive but tonight I didn't have the cards to re-raise. The one time I did have a hand KK, I raised, he went all-in I called and came up against AA! Not mght SnG!

11-30-2005, 12:30 AM

Post Number: 5 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

FinK22

Common Sense

Approved

Join Date: Jun 2005

Location: Common Sense

Posts: 3,557

Shouts:

Credits: 35222.765

If you know that he will raise if you limp and you aren't willing to put in the extra chips then fold. Do this a few rounds and then start raising when you get Jx or better. The folds will let him know you arent willing to play complete garbage and may gain you a little respect on your raises.

The only time you REALLY have to worry about the blinds once you get to heads up is in SnGs... MTTs you are normally going to have at least a few hundred K in chips. Wait it out a bit. As for heads up matches dont worry about raises at the beginning, just play your cards LOL. You each have 1500, if you get someone trying to swipe your blinds when they are 10/20 let them have them

Don't get me wrong, Ill call a raise to 80 with any 2 cards but then again I don't mind being the smaller stack.

11-30-2005, 08:53 AM

Post Number: 6 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

Slow Ray

Three of a Kind

Approved

Join Date: Nov 2005

Posts: 224

Shouts:

Credits: -16.91

Heads up strategy can be tough. To me it depends on the chip stack of my opponent. If we are about equal, I'll loosen my standards on hands. You have to remember that even small suited connectors can be extremely good cards in heads up play. Just because he re-raises doesn't mean he has high cards and waiting around for the high cards can get you into trouble. Any pair of cards can be a winner if you represent them right.

It just takes some getting used to. The important thing is getting to that position. Aggression will usually pay off with the win, but you have to pick your battles. Jx and up are really good starting hands. I've won several heads up pots with 5 6, 6 7, 7 8, 89 suited. Most all pairs are are great. You can usually play them with authority.

You're gonna lose some but in the long run, aggressive will win out.

12-07-2005, 04:47 PM

Post Number: 7 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

truushot

Three of a Kind

Approved

Join Date: Sep 2005

Posts: 244

Shouts:

Credits: 44.13

Heads up. Either raise or fold. Limp ocassionally with a monster to trap him. I'd make this play on them if the chip stacks are about even, limp an Ace rag and when he raises shove all in. Do it a couple of times and he'll have to adjust to this. You really do need to mix it up with these type of players.

12-08-2005, 08:56 AM

Post Number: 8 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

blang13

Straight

Approved

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: Columbus, OH

Posts: 268

Shouts:

Credits: 83.695

Have to agree with tru here. They key to heads up is to make the other person make a decision. Mix up your play. Against a very aggressive player, I'll limp with ANY two cards, and occassionaly reraise him with Ax, and sometimes, nothing, then when he just calls, I know he's probably just being a bully. If you are short stacked, you'll have to make a stand sooner, but this kind of player will make the classic mistake of chip leader in heads up... doubling up the short stack with a marginal hand. Just like in football, an over aggressive player will overpursue. Cut back on him, and he's left with air.

Bob

12-09-2005, 02:09 AM

Post Number: 9 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

Scottishben

Straight Flush

Approved

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: fortrose

Posts: 2,038

Shouts:

Credits: 6949.23

Aggression is the singlemost overrated charactoristic in poker period.

in heads up it is also greatly overrated.

It all depends what the blinds are in relation to chip stacks and how he plays post flop. Patience is often the best way of beating aggression - wait for a hand and ideally try to change the game into a flop and after flop game rather than a preflop game but if the blinds make this not practical then you have to still pick your best spot.

Dont fold away all your chips... but if the blinds are not enourmous i am not going to let luck be to much of a factor and playing an all in game with someone willing to gamble.

12-12-2005, 10:09 PM

Post Number: 10 (Link This Post)

Report this post!

Elvis Henry

Banned

Join Date: Oct 2005

Posts: 862

Shouts:

Credits: -20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mattastic

Just wondered what ou guys do when heads-up at the end of a tourney / SnG etc when the BB is aggressive and raises any of you calls from the SB.

Do yourself a solid and read Harrington's volumes on tournament Hold'em. In the second volume he has the definitive guide to playing heads up. The penultimate chapter covers shorthanded play as well.

I also practice heads up by playing the heads up SNG's they have on Poker Room. I have won at the $5.50, $11, $22, and $33 level. Some of my opponents go all in on the first hand or so, while others play solidly and vary their raises, calls, and folds, playing according to the blinds.

What I love about the heads up SNG's is that it doesn't matter what your cards are. If you keep getting dealt crap you can still bluff enough to win. Just that one good hand can give you an insurmountable chip lead or an outright win. My bankroll had hit close to rock bottom on Poker Room, and the heads up SNG's built it right back up.

The traps you can set in heads up on some opponents can win you a lot of chips. I have won a lot of money by checking full houses and made straights only to have someone come over the top on me betting top pair. (Of course, I've done this too on final tables of MTT's and late going in SNG's.) Occasionally I run into a real pro and I get my clock cleaned, but sometimes I beat them. Learn to play like they do and play them, and soon you will be as good as them.

Just don't play tired or drunk. That's when I get creamed.

E

Sponsored Link - Register now and become a THF member and this ad will be removed!

Heads-up against aggressive players

Theory, Advice, Strategies