Heads Up Strategy

[voiceofjoe]

As mentioned in another thread I am now playing a few 2 Man STT's. I consider myself quite good when I get to the Heads Up of normal 10 man STT's - so thought I would have a go at these.

I'm doing OK and winning about 60% of them - however I came across an opponent that I couldn't work out how to play - and would welcome advice.

Basically whenever she was behind she just went all-in, and I don't mean when she was a long way behind I mean a few 100 chips.
I originally tried to wait for a decent(ish) hand, but when all i'm pickng up is Q6 K2 etc - it's bloody difficult to call as basically without a Pocket Pair, I'm at best a 65-35 favorite - but if I lose the hand I'm virtually eliminated.

Would you risk the whole tourney on a 65/35 chance - or wait till you get a Pocket Pair and increase your percenatges, even though it amy never appear.?

I ended up getting TT and calling her all-in - she showed Q2o and hit a queen on the flop - then she finished me a couple of hands later?

Although truth be said - she was adopting a similar strategy I use when I get to a 9 man STT and i'm behind in the HU - betting big and hoping for a bad call from my oppo - although I don't tend to go all-in every hand !!

[Jimany]

It's quite tough playing those kind of players, i recently was up against one and it was a nightmare. Every time i called the blinds he'd make a huge overraise. I decided since i could afford the blinds that i'd bide my time till i had a quality hand & try and trap him. I think thats the best you can do, KQ i feel is one of the best hands you can have to trap her since there's a lot of hands they can push in with that you have dominated.

If it is all in every hand, depending on the blinds (if you can afford them), dont risk your whole tournament on a 60/40, wait till you feel you're close to a 70-75% favourite and cripple their stack then. You've then minimised the damage she can do with her all in's and next time she pushes you can afford to call with one of those A-rag/K-rag hands.

[robilaruk]

just pick a hand in the top 20% and call

or

just sit and wait and wait and wait and wait for something better

or

just shove their BB


personally I would wait for something in the top 20% and then call - I would give up 10BB (assuming no more that 25/50) before I loosned my calling range

There is no shame in folding and letting a monkey shover win hand after hand after hand and just waiting (blinds permitting) before calling - just don't get frustrated and call with Q8s coz it looks pretty

Damo

Originally Posted by voiceofjoe

As mentioned in another thread I am now playing a few 2 Man STT's. I consider myself quite good when I get to the Heads Up of normal 10 man STT's - so thought I would have a go at these.

I'm doing OK and winning about 60% of them - however I came across an opponent that I couldn't work out how to play - and would welcome advice.

Basically whenever she was behind she just went all-in, and I don't mean when she was a long way behind I mean a few 100 chips.
I originally tried to wait for a decent(ish) hand, but when all i'm pickng up is Q6 K2 etc - it's bloody difficult to call as basically without a Pocket Pair, I'm at best a 65-35 favorite - but if I lose the hand I'm virtually eliminated.

Would you risk the whole tourney on a 65/35 chance - or wait till you get a Pocket Pair and increase your percenatges, even though it amy never appear.?

I ended up getting TT and calling her all-in - she showed Q2o and hit a queen on the flop - then she finished me a couple of hands later?

Although truth be said - she was adopting a similar strategy I use when I get to a 9 man STT and i'm behind in the HU - betting big and hoping for a bad call from my oppo - although I don't tend to go all-in every hand !!

[GotaFancy?]

Your stack at any point in time has no cash equivalent, all it is is a measure of time (measured by M .... Stack Size divided by cost per round) .... the amount of time you have will determine what you need to "fight back" against someone going all in every hand .....

With enough "time" I will literally wait for AA or KK .... as the amount of time I have reduces, I will loosen my requirements for calling.....

[robilaruk]

interesting

do you fancy a HU game at all??

got to love an ultra tight player

Damo

Originally Posted by GotaFancy?(BBP)

.....

With enough "time" I will literally wait for AA or KK .... as the amount of time I have reduces, I will loosen my requirements for calling.....

[GotaFancy?]

I'll play you heads up happily if you go all in every hand

We'll start with 10,000 chips, blinds of 10/20 and 2 hour levels

[slapdash]

Originally Posted by GotaFancy?(BBP)

We'll start with 10,000 chips, blinds of 10/20 and 2 hour levels

... and a fast dealer!

[voiceofjoe]

Originally Posted by GotaFancy?(BBP)

With enough "time" I will literally wait for AA or KK .... as the amount of time I have reduces, I will loosen my requirements for calling.....

I can understand your reasoning gaf , but its flawed - the longer I wait the smaller my chipstack - the smaller my chipstack the more times I would need AA or KK to actually win.

In heads up they say its not about the cards you hold, its about the cards your opponent doesn't hold. Which makes the aggressive route the route to success - but there must be an optimum way to play against it ??

[GotaFancy?]

As your chip stack gets smaller, you have less "time", and loosen your requirements ...... but in the extreme example I gave ($10,000 starting stacks, 10/20 blinds and 2 hour levels ..... I wait for AA or KK (which I will get every 110 hands or so....) .... the cost of 110 hands is $1605, for a likely greater than 80% chance to double up .... I'm happy with those odds :-)

[slapdash]

Originally Posted by voiceofjoe

I can understand your reasoning gaf , but its flawed - the longer I wait the smaller my chipstack - the smaller my chipstack the more times I would need AA or KK to actually win.

That's why GaF specified "with enough time". The larger the stacks and the
smaller the blinds, the better the hand you should wait for to take a stand.

If the stacks are huge compared to the blinds, and if your opponent is
literally going all-in every hand, then then if you wait for AA, you have about
an 80% chance of winning that hand, and if you do then you'll have a massive
chip lead. But if you call with a lesser hand, you'll have a much smaller chance
of winning the key hand.

But if the stacks are smaller compared to the blinds, the chips you'll lose
while waiting for AA become more significant.

[GotaFancy?]

AA against a random hand is 85.2%

QQ against a random hand falls to 79.9%.....

TT is only 75% ........

[AvonGirl]

Wish I'd read this thread before tonight's PL game.

[robilaruk]

thats assuming that when you get KK I don't get AA of course

or we both have the same pair etc

Damo

Originally Posted by GotaFancy?(BBP)

I wait for AA or KK (which I will get every 110 hands or so....) .... the cost of 110 hands is $1605, for a likely greater than 80% chance to double up .... I'm happy with those odds :-)

[Jimany]

Originally Posted by robilaruk

thats assuming that when you get KK I don't get AA of course

or we both have the same pair etc

Damo

Chances are you wont

That's why being patient is always the key to heads up, that and a little bit of trapping

[robilaruk]

whys that then?

Damo

[quote=Jimany;762051]Chances are you wont

[GotaFancy?]

Originally Posted by robilaruk

whys that then?

About 200-1 for my opponent to get pocket AA on the specific hand I have KK!!! I can live with odds like that!!!

The 83% or so chance you have of winning with KK against a random hand considers the possibility that your opponent has AA!!!!

Are you really scared to play with KK in case your opponent has AA?????

[SteveO]

I think the best solution is to not play Heads up as it seems it's driving you guys a little doolally .