A complete Heads-Up game of mine and strategy

I just finished a HU @ PS and dicided to post it here for any comments - it consisted of 12 hands. I started off feeling that my opponent was going to try and dominate me...so I thought that I would get aggressive with him and take control...mind you, I was playing the player not nessarely my cards.

For those of you that say "you need the cards" this might show a little, that the cards are not that important. There are better examples that I could post, but they would be too lengthy....I am also willing to explain my view at any point in this match.

From: "PokerStars Support" <support@pokerstars.com>
To: <droman@tampabay.rr.com>
Subject: PokerStars Hand History Request - Tournament 9972777
Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 10:25 AM

*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #2086505964: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:17:08 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1500 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [7d 9c]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) collected (40)

*********** # 2 **************
PokerStars Game #2086506845: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:17:28 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1480 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1520 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [7s Jh]
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) collected (40)

*********** # 3 **************
PokerStars Game #2086507377: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:17:40 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1460 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1540 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [Ac 5d]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: raises 160 to 200
UpNUnderXIII: calls 160
*** FLOP *** [8h 2s Jd]
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: raises 300 to 320
UpNUnderXIII: folds
shomeriva collected 440 from pot
shomeriva: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 440 | Rake 0
Board [8h 2s Jd]
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) collected (440)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) folded on the Flop

*********** # 4 **************
PokerStars Game #2086508609: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:18:08 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1680 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1320 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [2d 4s]
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) collected (40)

*********** # 5 **************
PokerStars Game #2086509096: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:18:19 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1660 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1340 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [Ts 8c]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) collected (40)

*********** # 6 **************
PokerStars Game #2086509667: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:18:32 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1640 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1360 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [5d 3c]
UpNUnderXIII: calls 10
shomeriva: checks
*** FLOP *** [7s Kh Ks]
shomeriva: checks
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Board [7s Kh Ks]
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) collected (40)

*********** # 7 **************
PokerStars Game #2086510444: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:18:49 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1620 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1380 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [3h 6h]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: checks
*** FLOP *** [3c Qh 8s]
UpNUnderXIII: checks
shomeriva: bets 60
UpNUnderXIII: folds
shomeriva collected 40 from pot
shomeriva: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Board [3c Qh 8s]
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) collected (40)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) folded on the Flop

*********** # 8 **************
PokerStars Game #2086511335: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:19:10 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1640 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1360 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [4c 8s]
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: folds
UpNUnderXIII collected 40 from pot
UpNUnderXIII: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 40 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) collected (40)

*********** # 9 **************
PokerStars Game #2086511820: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:19:21 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1620 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1380 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [6s Qs]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: raises 58 to 78
shomeriva: calls 58
*** FLOP *** [Ad 5d 4c]
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: calls 20
*** TURN *** [Ad 5d 4c] [5h]
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: calls 20
*** RIVER *** [Ad 5d 4c 5h] [Qc]
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: raises 180 to 200
UpNUnderXIII: calls 180
*** SHOW DOWN ***
shomeriva: shows [6s Qs] (two pair, Queens and Fives)
UpNUnderXIII: mucks hand
shomeriva collected 636 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 636 | Rake 0
Board [Ad 5d 4c 5h Qc]
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) showed [6s Qs] and won (636) with two pair, Queens and Fives
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) mucked [7c 7h]

*********** # 10 **************
PokerStars Game #2086513447: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:19:58 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1938 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1062 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [Ac 7c]
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: raises 260 to 300
UpNUnderXIII: folds
shomeriva collected 80 from pot
shomeriva: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 80 | Rake 0
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) collected (80)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) folded before Flop

*********** # 11 **************
PokerStars Game #2086514278: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:20:16 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (1978 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (1022 in chips)
shomeriva: posts small blind 10
UpNUnderXIII: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [Kd 3h]
shomeriva: calls 10
UpNUnderXIII: raises 20 to 40
shomeriva: calls 20
*** FLOP *** [5s 9c Kh]
UpNUnderXIII: bets 20
shomeriva: raises 180 to 200
UpNUnderXIII: folds
shomeriva collected 120 from pot
shomeriva: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 120 | Rake 0
Board [5s 9c Kh]
Seat 1: shomeriva (button) (small blind) collected (120)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (big blind) folded on the Flop

*********** # 12 **************
PokerStars Game #2086515288: Tournament #9972777, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/07/12 - 10:20:40 (ET)
Table '9972777 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: shomeriva (2038 in chips)
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (962 in chips)
UpNUnderXIII: posts small blind 10
shomeriva: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to shomeriva [Th As]
UpNUnderXIII: calls 10
shomeriva: raises 2018 to 2038 and is all-in
UpNUnderXIII: calls 942 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [3c Td Ah]
*** TURN *** [3c Td Ah] [5c]
*** RIVER *** [3c Td Ah 5c] [9d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
shomeriva: shows [Th As] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
UpNUnderXIII: shows [Ks Ts] (a pair of Tens)
shomeriva collected 1924 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1924 | Rake 0
Board [3c Td Ah 5c 9d]
Seat 1: shomeriva (big blind) showed [Th As] and won (1924) with two pair, Aces and Tens
Seat 2: UpNUnderXIII (button) (small blind) showed [Ks Ts] and lost with a pair of Tens

If you have any questions, please contact us at support@pokerstars.com

Explain why you fold cards that can make a straight to a bet of 20. That's less then 7 points per card. It's cheap to see the flop, so why not. I know one shouldn't get involved with a bad hand, but if you catch then there are your winners. Even if you are just drawing you could make this guy fold by betting. And if he calls and you catch, bingo. I'm talking about the 97 and the 42.

One on one, low cards are stronger than normal. The boards has as much high cards as low cards which can make your hand. Your opponent will not expect it and will call.

Ok, let me try and explain it this way...in the beginning of every game, I try to figure out the opponent or set a tempo for them to figure me out....I am not thinking much about the cards at this point...when they start off by raising I will fold (unless I have very good cards - then it's a re-raise) if they do it 2 or three times in a row, I like it, and might even fold a decent pocket - I want them to get confident and cocky and to let them think that they are playing against a real laydown with me.

Now I want them to get the confidence of even higher bets pre-flop, then when they make one, I will come back at them with a very strong re-raise and push the shit out of them...that is unless I see no sign of hope for me, if that happens I will just drop it and wait for the next hand....but at this point I want to take a big pot from them.

I am not interested in a full board showdown game and make a pre-flop/flop game out of it.

If an opponent wants to be in a hand - then I don't want to be in that hand...I want to be in hands that he does not want to be in!

If an opponent bets an all-in - then I don't want to call an all-in...even with good cards.

I will bet the all-in when I want an all-in...its not for you to decide when we should have an all-in...unless I want you to do it...then I will set it up so you bet the all-in.

Just some of my thoughts on HU...I play it differently than most...but its what I am confortable at.

I can lose a lot of chips in the beginning...setting the pace...but can also come back strong from that position.

I will also rapidly change and adapt to my opponents play when I need to. Also when a player figures out my forced image on him, I will change my style to confuse him...the more that I can confuse him, the easier it will be for me to take him down.

As I said, I play the player much more than I play my cards.

As far as those medium and low possible str8 cards...I don't want to be around when 5 cards hit the board...I want to already have taken the pot down or layed down already. A flop could give me potential and make me call bets all the way to the river...I am not interested in that.

As you can see in the one hand I did go to the river calling bets, but that is unusual for me and it was not as much as thinking that I was going to win the hand as it was to let him know that I would call bets to the river without having the cards...If I lost that hand, it should have set him up for some larger calls when I did have the cards.

Let me ask you Kaart, why would you want to give up a BB raise that could be used for the next BB, when calling that raise would most likly be lost chips....and I say that for the following reasons:

1.) the odds are against me hitting a str8 on the flop
2.) The flop could turn into a str8 draw making me chase calling my opponents bets
3.) If say, I flopped a str8 or I draw a str8 without any betting...my opponent is most likely going to think that I hit a board card and will fold.
4.) I could have a draw on the flop and the opponent bets another 20 or 40 and I call chasing...now on the turn he increases his bet and I fold....I have now lost 60 to 80 chips for no reason.
5.) His pocket cards are most likely going to beat my pocket cards

There are just too many reasons for loss and only a few reasons for a very little gain out of this if I do hit...I feel that the chips could be put to better use by using them for the next blind.

Hitting str8's generally takes to the river to hit...I don't want to be in the hand untill the river....as I said I want it to be a pre-flop / flop game.

I disagree with you both.Im not lookin for a str8... im lookin for a pair, 2 pair, trips anything.
Crapshoot when he raises 20 everytime Id say he doesnt have a good hand every time,youre just giving him his next blind.
In HU why fold at all if you can help it.You have a 50/50 chance at hitting a better hand on the flop.
Ill see every hand if its cheap.
If they raise me big every hand Ill start seeing those too or raising them allin on a decent hand.Like you said ,we want the control.
Its just a matter of how you get it.

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Calling $20 bets just because its cheep is wrong. I dont care how cheep it is, little bets like that are not about betting, and its not a tell on someones hand.

When an opponent bets out such a small bet like that there is a little psychology in style of play involved. You call $10 and he raises $20. After he does this for a small amount of time your mind will lean toward thinking he is playing loose. He isnt. These are trivial bets that take many hands to have any significance. But why if these are trivial bets wouldnt you call it?

Because poker is played well with strong knowledge of the game, your opponent(s), and with confidence. But not confidence in the sense of arrogance. This confidence if better defined as momentum. When you are grinding your opponent down to the felt, you have a healthy feel of confidence, whilst your opponents has a strong feel of desperation.

Small bets and raises of $20 are trivial in the sense of figures. But they can disrupt your read on your opponent. More importantly they can have a drastic effect on the momentum by creating an illusion of action tricking you into making a drastic move (which people tend to do while action is in play at the table). Combine this with a little chasing and a little frustration as the blinds raise and you got yourself in hot water.

We'll I think cowboy is on my side on that one xtra, maybe not for the same reason, however I do agree with him. My feeling is I don't want to get trapped in trying to make a hand calling bets and if my cards do pair...well his cards would be higher if he paired...or maybe same card, higher kicker.

As you say just because he raised doesn't mean he has high cards, but he is saying that and he is putting his chips out there saying that...now if my pockets were high, what he is saying would be meaningless...however at this point we only know one thing for sure....my cards are low...and knowing that, I don't want to gamble that his cards are lower...or that I will hit my low cards and he won't hit anything....because, my feeling at this point is if he also hits...he's the winner...and if neither one of us hit...he's the winner.

BUt when you chase and catch the hot water boils over the other way.Which when Im playing HU is what I want.Theyll keep betting 20 and when u call or raise after they have done it for awhile this will tell them you have a hand.
If you call every 2o rise they wont know plus you get to see 3 more cards to see what your hand is.The 2 cards in your hand as compared to seeing 5 isnt a bad investment for 20 chips.
I just dont see the benefit in giving up all my blinds because they know Ill fold to a 20 chip raise with their 23 off.

When an opponent bets out such a small bet like that there is a little psychology in style of play involved. You call $10 and he raises $20. After he does this for a small amount of time your mind will lean toward thinking he is playing loose.

But what if he is loose?
If Icall every hand he raises will he think Im loose?
Ive tried the way you talk of Cowboy and for me it didnt work.Id fold away my chips and then raise him and hed fold.So in the end id give away more than I won.

But I do understand your logic Cowboy,,just as far as applying it it didnt work for me.

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Lets say you have AQ and he raises you 20 and you raise him back 120.
The flop comes low and misses you he raises 240 ..what do you do?
you only have 2 cards left and youre holding just A Hi.How can you call that when you cant call a 36 hand for 20? He just showed his strength by raising so he must have the better hand right?.
You believed him on all the other hands you have to believe him here dont you?
Ill lay back and fold on some hands but just because he riases me pre flop means nothing.If hes going to lay it out there,Im going to go after it.

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