Turbo Texas Hold'em, heads-up

I am wondering what you guys think about playing Turbo Texas Hold'em heads-up. Is this a good way to learn how to play this type of game? (Of course, I've already studied HPFAP)


I'm considering bying TTH for this purpose only.

I doubt it. I think you'd be a lot better off playing free one on one to get practise. The problem is the computer is not smart enough to adjust its play to what you're doing, so once you figure out how to beat it, you're home free. In real life, if an opponent is losing, he'll try to figure out why. For example, if he notices you're winning a lot of pots because he's folding, he'll adjust so you can't bet him off hands anymore. Then you have to adjust and check your weaker hands and bet for value.


After awhile you can test the waters with a bluff or two and see if he's still calling everything. If he's not, then you know you can but the bluff back in the game.


In 1-1 you'd like to figure out what your opponents weakness is and take advantage of it without his changing his play. For example, if he doesn't play enough hands (folds too easily), you can get a big advantage by playing more hands than he does and betting him off his hands. But if you overdo it, he'll adjust. So you want to do it enough to get a nice edge, but not so much that he'll adjust his strategy.


How much is enough? Depends on the opponent. You learn by trial and error.


These are just a couple of examples of 1-1 skills which need to be learned that computers probably won't help with.

I disagree. I think Turbo Texas Hold'em is an excellent way to greatly improve your one-on-one play. Here is the reason why. Most people that are playing one-on-one suck at it, so practicing against humans doesn't get you much if they don't know what they are doing. Until I read HPFAP21 I also sucked at it. I strongly believe that if you are playing against your average player who has not read HPFAP21 you're going to cream him.


So you need to practice two things. First, playing against typical opponents that will let you steal way too often. This will allow you to see how easy it is to completely rollover someone when you play as HPFAP21 advises. Second, you need to practice playing against someone who will not let you steal too much, and will make you pay when you try too often. You also need practice against someone that is going to try and steal more than their fair share of pots particularly in the SB. TTH is an excellent tool to get this practice. Finding humans to practice with that will cover all these aspects of the game may be difficult.


It is true that smart humans will learn to adapt their play far better than a computer that has been programmed to play rigidly. However, if I get in a game were my opponent starts off playing too passively I will recoginize it and take advantage of it. If he is playing aggressively I will recognize that as well and adjust my play. The key is that I have practiced a lot against both styles of play.


I highly recommend TTH.

It is extraordinarily good for this purpose. It's one on one player profile is not perfect, but it is awfully good. You can practice against that player or other players to get a feel of what to do against different types of players; most TTHE profiles are way better than the chumps who play in online play games. Furthermore you can use the SID analysis feature to have it critique your game, headsup or otherwise. It will be the best under $100 purchase you ever make. (I am not affiliated with Wilson in any way, other than admiring his work.)


Mark

>>"Typical opponents" that will let you steal way too often

>>"someone who will not let you steal too much"

>>"someone that is going to try and steal more than their fair share of pots particularly in the SB"


Would you have recommendations of specific "players" in TTH that emulate the above characteristics?

As far as letting you steal way too often -- use any of the players. Play against tight ones and loose ones as well -- they all let you steal too much.


Here is what I did for a player that plays one-on-one really well. I took Myopic Mike and adjusted his SB and BB play so that he raises nearly all the time. You can also adjust it so that he will raise certain weak cards 30% of the time but won't play them 70% of the time. I still need to make some adjustments to his play on the flop to make his play closer to what HPFAP21 recommends but he is already pretty tuff the way I have him setup.


Think about this. One-on-one you have a 50-50 chance of beating your opponent before you look at your cards. If you are in the SB you can think of it as your opponent putting up twice as much money as you for a 50-50 bet. How many people play one-on-one with this in mind?

Well, I guess I'm the minority here. I liked TT better for the ring games, where there's a lot more variations depending on who you're playing with.


The problem I had with the 1 on 1 is that it's easy to figure out how to beat it, and once you do it won't adjust, so you just keep beating it. I think you'd be much better off practising on line.


It's true that a lot of people play very poorly, but many players will notice that they're losing because they're not playing enough hands or because you're not letting them run over you, and they'll adjust their play. This happens to me a lot. Once they adjust their play, then you have to adjust yours.


For example, early on your opponent is folding too much. He notices you're bluffing him out of pots. So he starts calling you down. Your bluffs don't work. So you decide to start showing him some hands, knowing he'll pay them off. After a few times he gets burned, so starts folding before showdown. So you know you can start bluffing again.


These sort of back and forth tactics happen all the time, and I just don't see the computer having any of this.


That's not to say that TT isn't a good investment. I think it is. But I don't think it will help you much at 1-1 play. Not nearly as much as playing real live people.

I don't have much respect for TTH heads-up

either based on only about 2-3 hrs worth of play.


My opinion is that it wouldn't even win against

a typical 3-6 opponent.


It would do much better if you could program

3-4 profiles with various tendencies.

Then either randomize what profile you played, or

perhaps chose an optimum profile based on how you played your last X hands.


Then maybe it could hold it's own vs. a 3-6 player.


A few of turbos weaknesses would be:


Only recognizes 50-60 board textures with

NO PAIR on the board (This has an effect on not only proper play strategy, but more importantly it limits it's logic to bluff properly..Especially on the river)


It doesn't recognize how much action there was

on the previous round (preflop 3 bet, flop capped etc)...It only recognizes who has the lead.


And of course it has no idea what it's opponents betting patterns are based on previous hands.


And these are just the weakness in heads-up play. Multi-way action has many more.

Hi there,


Im new and was wondering where can i read a copy of HPFAP21. It sounds very good.


THanks for your time


John

Holdem Poker For Advanced Players 21st century edition. You can order it from this site, or find it in most good book stores.

> It is extraordinarily good for this purpose.


I strongly agree.