Heads up with a draw--to play or not?

[Derek in NYC]

You're in the big blind with 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gifJ /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. All fold to the small blind, who raises. You call (or maybe reraise to see where you stand).

Flop comes 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gifA /images/graemlins/spade.gif. Small blind bets out at you, and your read is that he raised preflop with an ace.

In a multiway pot, this is an easy hand to justify playing. But what about heads up? You are a dog to make your flush, and you already have put him on an overpair.

You might reraise (to represent a better kicker and get a free card on the turn and river), but if you do, you're also afraid he will play back at you and bet out the turn.

Note that on the turn, depending on how aggressively you played preflop and on the flop, there may or may not be enough bets in the pot to be positive EV.

So the question is--how should you play draws heads up? What's the preflop strategy? The flop strategy? Are hands like this best to check-call?

[nothumb]

Ok, let's say you just called. There are 2BB in the pot on the flop. SB bets out and you call, putting 3BB in on the turn. If he bets out on the turn when you miss you are still getting correct odds to draw at your flush (calling 1 to win 4, plus the likely river bet). The river should play itself.

If you raise on the flop and he doesn't play back, there are 4 BB in the pot; if he checks to you on a blank you should often bet hoping to win the pot.

NT

[StellarWind]

Calling stands out preflop. Can't imagine why I would raise heads-up with jack-high.

[ QUOTE ]
and your read is that he raised preflop with an ace

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a pretty extreme position to take. I don't see opponents that are this passive very often. This is heads-up play in the blinds and even most calling stations realize the rules have changed.

But I'll assume you have a reason for this read. You are getting 5-1 to call this bet. That's more than enough to draw a card. Normally I might raise here, but not if I assume he has an ace.

When he bets the turn blank I am geting 4-1 plus implied odds for my flush draw. That's still an easy call.

[sfer]

There's a reasonable argument for raising the flop if the SB is an opponent capable of laying down KK/QQ/JJ/TT and such, or if they have something like KQ/KJ/KT/QJ. But either way, you're going to the river.

I would usually 3-bet in this spot preflop. I like to give clear messages to the SB that I'm willing to spray chips.