Heads up, is it just a lottery?

[LordVTR]

At last after some pretty grim results over the last week or so, I have managed to get ITM a few times over the last couple of days, but more often than not, end up getting second place.

Obviously the blinds are usually pretty big by this stage, 200/400 plus and as I'm more often than not the short stack, I need to have a pretty wide pushing range. In a recent game, my stack was around 2500 with blinds at 200/400 so I was pretty much pushing everything and accepted that if I was called I was probably going to be the dog. However, if stacks are a lot closer, and blinding out isnt an immediate threat, should I still be in pushing mode, or should I see flops with reasonable cards and fold crap? Or should a continuously aggressive line be followed? It just seems to me that winning HU really is a lottery and if you happen to get crap cards for a few hands there isnt really much you can do apart from fold or hope the shove doesnt get called! Am I getting this totally wrong? Is there a 'right' way to play HU that will increase the chances of winning?

[fasin8ing]

In a recent game, my stack was around 2500 with blinds at 200/400 so I was pretty much pushing everything and accepted that if I was called I was probably going to be the dog.

I guess you were like 4:1 stacked against your opp..... In that case its a push war .... Just as if you were short stacked 3-4 way . However; patience in some instances will prove more profitable than pushing any two you think ... If your a dog each time... First off, you dont want to be a dog everytime.

Think about what could happen with the next two cards ...You say things like if the blinds are reasonable... Whats reasonable to you first off? Ok if you have heard the expression most flops miss most people from any poker book .... If you apply that theory to 2 handed, you will play better poker HU.

If you hit one of the three on the flop... chances are your ahead. Pushing PF all day long is a race and a art ... If you dont have Poker stove results memorized by now, chances are you dont know everything. Push shove is an art between 3-4 players. HU is something totally different and you have to keep notes on your opp.

Pushing your hands that are dogs into blinds 3-4 way ... theres a strategy there... Pushing a middle pair, low pair hand into a HU match .. thats just a given... Bottom line... You need to see flops, and know how to play post flop in order to play HU and win .

[taipan168]

There are a lot of good posts in this forum on heads-up play, search here for either "heads up" or "HU" and you should find them.

In general though:
- HU is not a lottery, but obviously if you get cold carded there isn't much you can do. But that said, heads up, it is very rare for any two cards to be more than a 2:1 underdog to two other cards.
- So many players fear HU play such that it can actually be a HUGE advantage for you if you are good at this. I actually look forward to playing HU because you can really get into your opp's head and screw with them
- HU play is very read dependent. By the time you get to this stage you should know whether they play loose/tight, passive/aggressive, are they donkeys? good players? All of this influences how you play HU
- Once either your stack or your opp's stack is <10x BB, then just shove all-in if you are going to play (unless you are trapping with AA or KK, which I would only do occasionally).
- Aggression is key HU, but given the odds you get as the button/SB, you can pretty much limp any two cards IF your opp is passive and won't raise you from the BB.

[donkbee]

push/fold once you're around 10bb no question.

i hate to tell ppl about this but psst ... sngpt ...

[TLR]

A very big part of heads up is understanding your opponent and adjust your game.

Generally speaking I think there are 4 types of HU players:
1. The non-adjstable type - They dont adjust their hand selection enough in heads up, they fold way too much, basically with those you want to grind them by raising a lot preflop, and taking their blinds, and avoid playing big pots with them when the play back unless you have a big hand

2. Those who adjust preflop but not postflop - they try to see many flops, usually without raising preflop unless they have a good hand, and will check-fold on the flop if they dont hit at least a pair - wit them you want to see flops for cheap, bet any flop and again avoid big pots without big hands

3. The overally agressive type - those who push almost every hand - you have to call with decent hands and hope for the best.

4. The good players - when two decent players paly heads up a lot has to do with the way the cards fall

[donkbee]

there's pretty much no thinking once you're down to push/fold, what a lot of ppl consider a "lottery" when you're hu. learn what hands to push, what hands to fold, and you have an edge every single time (unless your opponent does the same too). no thinking ...

[LordVTR]

Thanks for the replys guys, very helpful. Having done a little self analysis I think my play tends to fall into the 'push everything' zone when short stacked which I guess is the only option when blinds are big, or the 'non-adjustable' player when stacks are even or in my favour. So I think I'm gonna have to work a lot harder on reading the other player when in this position. I have ordered both volumes of HOH which I hope will help me develop my overall game as well as HU. Also, I have SNG wiz which has helped me identify areas where I should be shoving when I do post game analysis, how does SNGPT compare to this?

[TLR]

HoH are great books, but you have to keep in mind that the turbo Sngs on stars are a shallow stack tournaments, and some of the advice in the book in adjustements