HU 1/2 Hand

[Chris Daddy Cool]

UB NL 1/2
table was shorthanded for awhile and me and my opponent are the only survivors. We both have about $400. He plays pretty good. I haven't seen him do anything stupid, but don't quite know how he plays heads up.

I'm the button/SB with A /images/graemlins/club.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif and make it an even 5 to go. He min-reraises to 10. I call.

Flop: A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif J /images/graemlins/spade.gif 7 /images/graemlins/club.gif

He bets $20. Should I raise him right here or wait til the turn? I decide to wait til the turn and just call. (Good? Bad? Why?)

Turn: Q /images/graemlins/spade.gif

This card makes me a little uneasy, but decide to stick to my plan. He bets $50. I make it $120 to go, and he insta re-raises to $240. I ponder for a while and fold.

Too weak there?

[Gunsmoke]

I would have raised massively on the flop! you need to shut out ALL drawing hands.

[josie_wales]

Hey Cris

I am not a great HU player, but I think that Pre-Flop you were fine. I would have perhaps re-raised him after he raised to $10. <font color="red">Reason </font> HU, AJ is a fairly good hand. He could be thinking you are on a steal or just trying to take control of the pot. If you re-raise him to $20 and he pushes/reraises big Preflop, THEN you can be pretty sure you're in trouble.

On the flop, HU, I think that a smooth call is just fine.

On the Turn the re-raise despite the strength youve shown alomst forces a lay-down.

However, what hands could he have that your behind?

AA, JJ, AQ, 77, QQ

You would have a better idea of where you stand with a re-re-raise preflop.

josie wales

[schwza]

i don't have much experience playing HU, but i would think you want to push on the turn. if you give this hand up i think you're asking to be run over. there's enough bluffing going on HU that i don't think you should be at all confident you're behind here.

that said, i would personally not play HU with anybody i read as "pretty good." my experience playing limit HU has been that it's very rare that i think a particular opponent has a big edge on me, but i'm sure i've played against people who thought i was a fish. a "pretty good" HU opponent cannot be the most lucrative game.