I am terrible at heads-up
I have started to play some $2+.15 heads-up SNGs on Full Tilt. I figure I need to start to be a more aggressive player. My cash game is really more suited to full ring but nine-handed games bore me to death so I inevitably end up heading to the 6-max tables. But then I play too passive and fail to adjust to a short-handed game. I have two choices: be a more patient person and just play full ring, or become a well-rounded player and improve my short-handed game. I have chosen the latter. One way I will do that is by playing some of these cheap heads-up SNGs, which is basically the only way someone with my bankroll can get a solid amount of heads-up play in. You would think that by playing five or six I would just fall into a win at some point. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. In fact, I haven’t won a single heads-up SNG thus far. I do a decent job of jumping out to a chip lead (sometimes as substantial as 2:1) but I can’t finish off my opponents. Sometimes the cards dictate this but I’m certain that most of it is my poor play.
I had a pivotal hand last night that I basically couldn’t get away from. I had almost 2000 chips and my opponent had a little over 1000. With the blinds at 15/30, my opponent limped and I checked from the BB with 9d 7d. The flop came 8d 6d 2s giving me a straight flush draw. I bet 60, he min-raised to 120, I raised to 420, he min-raised to 720, and I put him all-in. I figured I had at least 17 outs and that’s exactly what I had when he flipped over top set. Unfortunately, the board bricked out, the chip situation flipped, and I ended up losing with AK vs. 77 when he had a 3:1 chip lead.I probably play way too passively heads-up. I have a hard time justifying a raise with air when it’s very likely my opponent is betting the flop with air. This is likely because in the games I normally play at (full ring, 6-max), air is rarely the best hand. In heads-up, air is good a lot, especially with ace-high or even king-high. I suppose it’s just a learning process. Sucking at heads-up isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since I am so rarely in a heads-up situation.
By the way, congrats are in order for Josh Fields AKA JJProdigy. He final-tabled a mixed-game event at the Aussie Millions, taking home $18,240 for fifth place. The kid (and I can say kid because I’m older than he is) has been through a ton and it’s good to see him make a name for himself for something other than cheating, getting caught, and then cheating again. An 18 year old should be given another chance. Hopefully live poker will be his second chance. Good luck JJ!
RipCity
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For the heads up sngs I’ll give you a strategy which works really good against bad players. Make alot of small bets. Like 1/3 to 1/2 pot. Base it on a pattern, either certain types of flops or some certain pattern that you develop. When they play back at you, only then do you play more according to your hand. Take advantage of position by minraising or mini-raising button often, betting after they check, taking free cards when necessary. Don’t get involved in bigish pots OOP without a bigish hand.
Normally your bad opponents fall into a category, tight, passive, or aggressive. Against the tight palyer you will be picking up so many pots that you will have a huge advantage. Against the passive player it allows you to stop betting and lose only a little when they get into call mode, while continuing to bet more each street and taking alot of chips from them when you have a hand. Against aggressive players you will get raised a bit and have to give up, but you will have them commited for huge pots with middle pair, TPWK etc. when you come up with a bigger hand. All these players are easy to beat and you should be able to win a high percentage or so of your matches, 70% or so against them.
Against good players, this strategy is a good base to start but you will need to develop a better feel in order to beat the good player.
Feel free to send me a pm if you want to discuss further.