headsup

[bigred]

I continually place second in sng's. I have only won an sng once in my life and it was because I actually found someone worse at heads up then me (very hard to find). I tried playing in heads up toruney's last night hoping to face different people and come up with some sort of a game plan. I lost every single one. What advice can you guys give me?

[Krapp]

Heres an easy one to improve your HtoH. If the blinds are 10-20%+ of your stack, push with any Kx+ or pocket pair preflop hands. If the blinds are ~10% or lower of your stack, you will need to improve your HtoH to do well.

[dalecooper]

The two biggest things, I think, are these:

1 - Caliber of starting hands has to go down. Don't wait for pocket pairs or two face cards. If it looks remotely playable, it might walk in heads up. It's just a different game. Think of it this way: unless you have 72o or he has a pocket pair, most any hand is a coinflip winner against whatever he has. Your odds improve slightly if one of your two cards is a high card (king or ace). I'm not saying bet to the river on any piece of crap, but don't be bullied just because you have a hand you usually think of as soft.

2 - Increase your aggressiveness. Tight/passive players want you to take their blinds and their minimum bets. Against these types you should be able to take 2/3 or 3/4 of the blinds without seeing a flop. If you do see a flop and you think they missed, push them on it; don't check and give them a free card.

Against other aggressives, your options are a bit more limited. I suggest you pick and choose your spots. Sometimes fold to their pre-flop raises, sometimes re-raise and see if you can throw their own game at them. Or you can fold until the right opportunity comes along, then trap-bet them with a lot of smooth calling and a big raise on the river. Up to you. But you have to get a few hands that are really solid for this approach to work, so it's kind of random if you'll succeed this way or not.

[bigred]

Any other suggestions?

[HeavyP]

Whenever I play heads up I treat it as a game of chicken. Anytime someone bets I assume they're bluffing and always put pressure on them.

[Les_Worm]

Never call. Fold or raise. Remember you don't have to play your cards, you have to play your opponents.

[Superior]

It all depends on the opponent your up against. One of my friends likes to raise almost every pot preflop heads up regardless of his holdings and it's so easy to smooth call when you hit a flop and trap him for a good portion of his chips.

Another move that works for me is to simply limp in knowing that your opponent is going to raise you sensing weakness; then reraise him. It gets them to fold or reraise you back if they really do have the goods.

[MyRedemption]

Another move that works for me is to simply limp in knowing that your opponent is going to raise you sensing weakness; then reraise him. It gets them to fold or reraise you back if they really do have the goods.

I dunno if i agree with that, maybe i'm a weird one, but if that happens in heads up i think them more likely to be bluffing than not. Depending on my hand i'd probably reraise again or call, making it just a more expensive coin flip I think Heads up is won by playing your opponnent first of all, second most important is playing correctly when you do make a hand. 2 pair + is usually good, a 5 card hand is even better, and knowing just how to get as much chips out of your opponent as possible is key to heads up. Blinds can be tossed back and forth, get good reads on your opponent so you fold when they catch the hand, them kill em when you get yours.

[Staple Gun]

I have never tried this strategy but i was thinkin about trying it the other day, it is similar to the 2 categories post. If your playing heads up and get Q-7 or higher (regardless of suit) raise, if not fold. I figure Q-7 or higher will give you pot odds on you opponet because 1/2 the time he will have a worse hand, and the other half he will fold some of them. So he will be forced to loosen his preflop play, and then you can get paid big when you have a real hand, and you will catch some on the flop when you dont. You just cant get greedy though and raise bigger with better hands or you will start to give away your hands.

[HeavyP]

Heads up I will raise with 1.) Any Suited Connector (and 1 gapper) 2.) Any Face Card or Ace 3.) Any Pocket pair.

If he comes over the top I'll have to evaluate where I'm at

[Manomanman]

a) Be willing to take flops when the blinds are low. This works because, first, it will give you information about his post-flop skills (ie. whether he has any at all). If he has none, then you're going to want to see a lot of flops that he raises, and then take the pot away from him on the flop a lot. If he has flop skills, then you'll probably want to tighten up defend your blind enough until the blinds go up.

It also might slow him down a bit because he'll realize that he can't steal your blind, and then you might be able to "change the roles" and kick on the aggression.

b) When the blinds get high, you've got to change gears and surprise your opponent. If you've been really tight, go aggressive in "spats." He'll think you're finally catching cards. If you've been aggressive and have built a moderate stack, slow down a bit and let your aggressive opponent hang himself.

[Chicago_Kid]

I also had trouble H2H, but I think I am getting better. Sorry in adv for the length of the following, but I've thought quite a bit about this. The way I see it, the difference between 1 and 2 is usually a fair amount of $$, so I think it's worth some reflection. Here are my thoughts and I'd like to hear some critiques from you all:

First of all, I can only speak to Sng's with 10 or more people, rather than 1-on-1 tourneys. With this in mind, I sum up my approach by saying my strategy consists of applying steady pressure pre-flop (use "The Gap" concept on most above average hands), and using what you know about the opponent from previous game action to read them on later streets.

Tactically, I probe (probe = betting out or small raises on semi-bluffable, or average hands in order to steal blinds, force folds, obtain reads on hand weakness, or evaluate general playing style) opponents upon the onset of h2h to see if they change their style; using previous action as a baseline. Of course, the amount of probing I do depends on my stack size, blind levels, and the knowledge I have built on this opponent.

So, e.g., if I am of short stack or against steep blinds (and have little knowledge), I will proceed more directly and look for dbl up opportunities---might as well try. However, if we are pretty even, I’m ahead, and/or I think I know their style, I will probe and pressure selectively, looking for steals or set-ups.

If the player is a total mystery to me (say I was drifting off during play a lot ), I will probe a bit up front. This helps in two ways: (1) if he/she is wimpy, I can steal and keep them wimpy, or sometimes force “tilty” calls. (2) If they are aggressive, I find I can gain some respect, and also force "tilty" calls. If they call and I catch some flop, I go at them.

I think most agree that the easiest style to be h2h against is an tight/passive. I pick these folks out as the ones who fold, fold, fold…and then catch a big hand late to jump into the money. If I end up against that style, I probe immediately to try to assess their h2h play. If they don't adjust quickly, I can take several blinds from them before they know it--nice at higher blinds. Alternatively, if the opponent has proven clever or aggressive in earlier play, I will mix it up a bit more, and be more selective.

Finally, the first to set the tone in h2h can gain a distinct psychological advantage...important when you are even stacks at the onset.

[thedecks]

it is best to know who your playing. if your at home and or casino, people might know how you play if you play them alot. so if you beat them alot you will have respect and be able to bet pots big and take blinds.

read your players and watch how they bet online. don't be afriad to re raise a hand. if you catch him bluffing you will turn him into a tight player, go for him in that case . the other player wil believe you have had a good run of cards.
and dont be afriad to flod bad hands that look good.

[bigred]

use "The Gap" concept on most above average hands

What is the gap concept?[/quote]

[Radashack]

If I end up heads up first thing I do is Assume i've already won, My game shifts into a majorly different gear (after i contually placed 2nd over and over I learned ). If I am short stack I push hard (you have to otherwise you will be blinded out or get out drawn because you are letting your opponent get more chips so he is more likely to call an all in. I Raise Re-raise and fold, I am never playing my cards i'm playing the player, I figure out how he bets against me and then I trap his bets, I know when his cards beat mine and I fold, eventually I will gain a chip lead, and then continue to widdle them down. More raises, ect.

There will be times when I give my opponent a cushion as well. I'll pretend my cards are just super cold I will fold fold fold, then I will take one hand when they start seeing they are "winning" This puts an average player into a betting swing where you can take down the game quickly.

Another strategy I will incorporate into this is switch just calling... I will call call call, after someone see's me raiseing raiseing raiseing they begin to wonder whats happening, again this is all a strat to make someone believe they are winning and get them into more of a position to call you down, when you do hit a hit.

Another, Go all in 2 hands in a row.. wait as many hands up to 3 or so to get a good hand and go all in again, The idea behind it is to make your opponent say "three all ins in such a short time has to be a bluff"

Granted none of these will work all the time, and sometimes you will just pull second, but you will definetly increase your chance at first .

[Humphrind]

use "The Gap" concept on most above average hands

What is the gap concept?

The Gap Concept is a Sklansky topic. basically it says that people will play less hands in a tournament than they would in a ring game. Because there is no re-buy in a tournament.

Using this Gap concept to your advantage means you should raise with more hands because they are likely to fold.

This does not apply in heads up play. Either a H2H tourney or the end of a SnG. (actually, it will more apply in a H2H tourney than it would in a SnG) I don't know if Elephant is talking about H2H, but I hope he isn't.

[Chicago_Kid]

Your last sentence confused me there, Humph...but I'll bite on your hook .

I think The Gap still applies to H2H or end of Tourneys. If you are thinking this because you don't have players behind you, consider a "raise" (instead of an open, according to Sklanksy's definition) as a bet that could be reraised by your opponent.

The definition of 'The Gap' (and the H2H application): "The difference between the hand you need to call an opener (call a raise) and that which you would open (raise) with yourself."

Since this gap changes depending on how your opponent plays (in their Tight-Passive mind, the gap becomes huge when you raise), you can take advantage of this gap and steal--particularly with the right table image.

[Chicago_Kid]

If I end up heads up first thing I do is Assume i've already won...

By "assume I already won" I guess you mean be super aggressive? Also, you can play the player, but (excuse the sarcasm) are you looking at those two waxy pieces of paper in front of you at all?

I'll pretend my cards are just super cold I will fold fold fold, then I will take one hand when they start seeing they are "winning" This puts an average player into a betting swing where you can take down the game quickly.

Come again? If you've got crap, fold. If you've got the goods, raise or set-up. If you've got something in between, mix it up. When you fold, fold, fold your avg hands you aren't letting them THINK they're "winning", they ARE winning.

I will call call call, after someone see's me raiseing raiseing raiseing they begin to wonder whats happening, again this is all a strat to make someone believe they are winning and get them into more of a position to call you down, when you do hit a hit.

This will work on LPP's and people who call down crap, except you are giving them a chance to catch. So you may "hit", but you may let them hit bigger on later streets.

Another, Go all in 2 hands in a row.. wait as many hands up to 3 or so to get a good hand and go all in again, The idea behind it is to make your opponent say "three all ins in such a short time has to be a bluff"

What about stack size, blind level, or opponent style? Eventually their gonna catch a Ax and call you...

but you will definetly increase your chance at first .

You probably scare the dookey out of opponents head's up with your mind games...if it works for yeah, more power...

[Humphrind]

Your last sentence confused me there, Humph

But I hope my first sentance of that paragraph didn't.

"This does not apply to H2H."

As the game gets shorter handed, people will play a wider range of hands. This slims the 'gap' further and further down until it is non-existant when heads up.

[Chicago_Kid]

Fair enough, assuming that your opponent adjusts effectively.

My point is that if they don't adjust their gap you can gain an advantage.

A lot of people don't do this well, and you need to take advantage of it, to get an edge.