Confused on How To Handle A SNG HU

[huxbux]

Villian is semi-tight, generally passive postflop, but has shown proper aggression preflop.

Party Poker 2/4

Hero dealt 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9 /images/graemlins/spade.gif

5 fold, Hero raises, SB Villian 3-bet, BB folds

Flop: 3 /images/graemlins/heart.gif 4 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif K /images/graemlins/spade.gif

Villian bets, Hero raises, Villian calls

Turn: 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Villian bets, Hero ?

I'm often at a loss on how to play HU as my short-handed game is generally non-existent. I've noticed some players change their playing style HU while others do not. This hand I was at a loss as to whether or not villian had turned ultra aggressive HU or was playing his standard game.

I have trouble dealing with the SNG HU, but can successfully deal with it when I have a proper read on a player. Here though, I had no such read that villian was capable of a bet out bluff on a scare card. I figured the villian to have a wide range of hands down through Axo considering what appears to be a blind steal attempt on my part.

If he is attempting to bluff me off the pot after picking up extra outs on the turn, am I better off letting him bet my hand for me, rather then raise him again causing him to fold? My thinking is that I'm either way ahead or way behind to a K or a straight, taking the call down line costs me exactly the same amount of bets with either calling or raising, but I can make me an additional 1BB by letting him bet. To me, getting that extra BB seems worth it in this small pot. Is my line of thinking off base here?

[spamuell]

My thinking is that I'm either way ahead or way behind

This just isn't true, though. He'll often have overcards and will be betting the turn for one of the following reasons:

- He's not putting you on any hand it's just that often people fold heads-up when he bets.
- He thinks it unlikely that have you have a K and you will probably fold if he bets.
- He just picked up a flush draw.
- He just picked up a gutshot with Ax (or oesd with something like 55).
- He knows you're tight and he just decided he'd bluff.

[Michael Davis]

There really aren't too many situations where you aren't seeing the river with 99 in this situation. The flop raise seems superfluous unless your opponent is the type that you can actually let go of your hand if he reraises. I'd just go into calldown mode the entire way and lose the least or encourage him to keep bluffing.

Try taking a more passive approach when you are heads up in position. You'll like it.

-Michael

[Shillx]

A bet like this means the villian:
Found a draw
Improved from a marginal hand to a good hand (not the case here)
Has a monster hand and wants to keep you around
Is betting a weak made hand that he doesn't want to call down with, but is willing to invest a bet in hopes that a) you fold, or b) you raise so he can safely fold knowing he is beat.

Unless the villian has KK, I think you have the best hand in the spot. Folding is out of the question for me, and his agression level determines if I call or raise here. If I know he will fire on the river with a worse hand then mine, I'm leaning toward calling.

Brad

[huxbux]

It's a line I sometimes use, but falling back on my ignorance in short-handed and HU play, I made the assumption(and I'm not even sure from where)that aggressive play is critical to short/HU situations. But I'll look to implement a more passive stance, letting opponents bet for me, in these types of situations.