End Game Heads-up Strategy

Limit Hold-em Tourney, down to final two players. I have TC10,000, other player has TC15,000. 1000/2000 blinds. Other player is loose-passive from previous tournaments, but has been run over by the deck in this tourney and has turned aggressive for the 1st time ever. 1st 3 hands heads-up I get 72o, 93o, and 94o, so I'm down to 6,000 and he has 19,000.


I have the 2000 BB, look down to see K9s. He raises from the button, and after considering being left with 4000 vs 21,000, I re-raise with K9s to get all-in. Turns out he had KK (for the 5th time in the final two tables), and I'm out.


Was fairly happy with 2nd, as I was 13th with 13 players left, but two questions -


#1 - should I have mucked the K9s and looked for one of the next 2 hands to take a stand, and


#2 - should I have just called the raise and waited to see the flop???


Thanks...


DrJ

I'd just call and bet anything on the flop. If you fold you are down 4000 to 21000.


If he folds post flop, you are back to 10000. That extra 2000 gained from going in, isn't worth the chance of his folding post flop. Although it is doubtful he'll fold unless on a complete steal and misses the flop.

No way that you can fold this hand preflop. Very strong against a charging opponent. All-in versus call and bet is debatable, but a fold is out of the question...IMO

You post 2K and only have 4K left in your stack, there is NO hand you should ever fold. All you can do here is try to maximize your chances to win. You should never lose here except at the showdown.


Also, you probably should've played one of those garbage hands you mucked to go from 10K to 6K. When the blinds are this big compared to your stack, you really can't wait for a premium hand, especially heads-up. Why not raise one of those small blind hands, and hope he also has garbage and will fold? Admittedly, it's tougher to win in this spot against a very loose player, but sometimes gambling with a crappy hand is better than being blinded down. I mean, let's say you win here, you're up to 12K. Well, that's barely ahead of the 10K you had before folding a bunch of hands. Hard for me to say without being there to see and study the opponent, but worth considering next time.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Greg - Thanks for the advice - I was sure that I shouldn't have folded this hand, but was more wondering about the raise vs. call. Frankly, it didn't really matter all that much as my opponent would have bet the flop regardless.


I was more than ready to take a shot with one of the 1st 3 hands, but there was nearly a 100% chance he was going to call at this point. His tendency is to call in all even moderately close situations anyways, and with the run he'd been having, I knew he was going to call. If I'd had some hands with even one pitcture/ace in them, i was planning on playing. Food for thought, though...


Thanks as usual...


DrJ

i reaaly appreciate all your input even if I dont know you. What i have read is aqlways informitive and interesting. keep it comming fossil man we all love you more for it. thank u, thank u , thanku.