Newbie Hand #3 - 33 HU

[dfscott]

Ok, I somehow scratched and clawed my way to Heads-up play. I'm put to the test with another hand I hate -- small pockets.

My read on this guy was that he was fairly aggressive, but not quite as aggressive as I would expect heads-up (I nearly always raise from the SB HU). We'd only been heads-up for about 9 hands, but this was the first re-raise of one of my raises.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (2 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Hero (t4965)
BB (t3035)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1800</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises to t3035</font> (All-in), Hero calls t1035.

I felt like getting almost 5:1, I have to call, right? Or does all that stuff go out the window HU?

Edit: this was supposed to be hand #3, but whatever...

[breezeyo]

I absolutely call here. If you lose, you are still around 2K in chips which is just one double up from even. No questions with pockets especially if it is your pattern to raise from SB. He could be trying to push you off.

[ChrisV]

Just move in yourself preflop. Your effective stack is under 10BB here because that's all your opponent has.

[ilya]

You've gotta call, but you should just push in the first place.

[AtticusFinch]

[ QUOTE ]
You've gotta call, but you should just push in the first place.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, yeah, what he said. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]
Just move in yourself preflop. Your effective stack is under 10BB here because that's all your opponent has.

[/ QUOTE ]

That makes a lot of sense. Now that you say it, I realize I knew about the "whichever is lower, you or your opponent" rule, but I didn't know if it applied HU. Thanks.

[SumZero]

I hate the raise to 1800. That amount will only induce a fold or an all in from him as 1800 is 60% of his stack. I'd rather bet the pot (which would be to 1200, if I calculate correctly) or else go all in.

I think you set yourself up to be pot committed by your 1800 bet. And then your 1200 call is correct given the raise amount, but it is the previous bet amount that was the mistake. If he reraises your 1200 you can fold and the stack sizes are pretty even. And even if he is on a bluff reraise it is probably only a coin flip slightly favoring you. Not good!

[lorinda]

The reason you push here is to prevent him from thinking he can make you fold by pushing back at you.

Now he has all the problems preflop instead of you.

Lori