A complete Heads-Up game of mine and strategy

Close, when you chase and catch and he has something, then you will be paid off. These $20 bets do not make him a loose player, therefore you can not assume he will try to bluff and pay off your catch. That being said, are you going to chase, and risk being raised just to catch and still not have a definate pay off?


It's not about raising with good hands and folding your bad ones. Its about solid play, smart play. That does not mean you sit and wait for AQ and then raise big with it. AQ has a highly degraded value in heads up (compared to it's origional value). You don't need the kicker anymore. High pairs are high pairs, it doesn't matter as much that you have the highest of the faces paired. So long as you have one paired.

I respect your success lately Xtra, and congradulate you, but after the examples you gave me here with assumptions like...

I think you need to extend your knowledge of theory a little with poker books. Just because you lay down a hand does not mean you believe him. It could mean you don't have the read to make the play. Which most certainly in that situation is the case.

From what i have heard, you have killer instinct. Put that with solid knowledge of a variety of author’s theory and solid statistics from people like Sklansky and you will really have something going there.

Solid knowledge of the game(1), your opponents(2) and confidence(3). I have heard you have a great ability to read opponents so you have #2, now focus in on strengthening part one of that formula and part 3 will come around on its own.

And I’m sorry if I’m being too critical of your game, I know you didn’t ask my advise. You are a great player, I’d like to see you representing THF at the WSOP when we get qualifiers runnin here is all.

I love the advice,and I know I can learn from what you write just as I have in the past.On the laydown I was just comparing the 2 .
This is just my HU play but I dont like playing it because it tends to make me chase til my mind switches over to the way I play MTTs.
Its not close to the way I play a full table or Id never make it past the first blind raise.
Ill keep workin on my game ,every hand I learn something new.Looking forward to the day I can watch more THF members make the WSOP.

When I can get you and crapshoot in a thread talking its always good theory/conversation/reading.

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Now I didn't contribute to this thread because I don't have much to say about heads-up play. I think I am pretty bad at it. But truly, this is what I LOVE about THF. This represents it perfectly. Three of the best and smartest players going in depth about a subject. I was fantastic to read everything you all said. I know THF has "Best Posts of the Month" and things like that, but this is the greatest parts of this forum. Not just one great post, but several all in the same thread commenting on the same topic.

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cky12 - PokerStars
cky12 - FullTilt

My Poker Journal

Thanks kikolo...I agree,you do need back and forth discussions to get the true value out of a topic...I for one am not shy about arguing my point, however I am also open and think about the contrary coments while I am reading the post and for days after reading the post and will also change my view. That is why these forums are so important.

i play heads up more in extras style i tend to push and if i find a weak opponent game over 4 times i have come from 10,000 chips down in hu at the end of tornys because my opponent let me push him/her about but i am a agressive player lol

1) Odds? I don’t know anything about odds. The 4-2 rule is the only thing I know and use it to calculate what my chances are of catching my card. If it is higher then 20 percent before the turn I will call almost everything.
2) A str8 draw is powerful too. It gives you confidence to bet and make the other player fold.
Semi-bluffing is something I do a lot in HU games. Calling small bets to catch a straight is wortht it if it falls. And there’s nothing bad about chasing…
3) It would be a good world if everyone went All In when I flop a straight, but often they will just call small bets or fold. There’s nothing you can do about it, it happens.
4) True, that happens often. But as long as all the plus beats all the minus than I will continue playing like this. If you catch on the river and you win about 400 of his chips you can try the same thing again like 6 or 7 times.
5) Well, 42 is one of the lowest pockets available so yes his pockets will beat yours. That’s why I always want to see the flop. You never know if you will hit your straight or flush but if you don’t try you are never going to find out.

Thats very risky kaart. In heads up, you do not need to dominate him. Straights and flushes mostly never pay you off like they should. It's pairs two pair and trips that pay you off the most.

If you have a pair or better, with a draw to a better hand, now thats a betting hand.

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42o, don't call with that. If you pair anything it will get you in trouble. Because if the guy has nothing he has a good mind to fold. If he has something he has you beat because 2 and 4 are so small. The straight won't come on the flop, the odds are something 1/200, and even if the flush comes theres a good chance you are beat. Two pair or trips is your only scapegoat. Two pair will be flopped 1/50 and trips will be flopped 1/60 of the time.

The odds are not their, you need something to stay in on the flop. Forget how 'good' the odds are to the river, odds to the flop are what you need.

This situation does not have a great potential for odds improvement. Fold it and play the next hand. You may play this hand without losing much money, or you may play it and make a little money but its so small, its not worth the risk of landing something and losing.