Nightmare

Subject is 8/16 game with kill. Game full but moderately tight. Found myself heads up five times with an excellent player sitting to my right. Each time I raised coming in with AQ, AJ, A10. Opponent calls. Flop A, x,x rainbow. I bet. Opponent calls. Turn x garbage. Opponent calls. I bet. Opponent check raises. I call. River x. Opponent bets. Now what? I call. Five time opponent showed me two pair, sometimes Aces up, sometimes garbage up. Any suggestions?

If he is excellent then you need to mix it up on him.
You have no control over the cards he hits. But is he playing for raises against you for other reasons?
Can he steal the pot from you with nothing when you show weakness... Can he fold marginal hands to your bet with little worry that it is the best hand

I would not want to play any hands against an opponent that plays very good...win or lose my expectation is lower against somebody who plays better than the next guy

I would check the turn ad call the river when i hit my hand occasionally
AJ or A10 esp
now you are giving him a free shot at getting out
when you are ahead
but when u are behind you save 2 bb
plus if he is good he will prolly bluff
depending on your play he may do this 75% of the time
here u get 1 bb back

the best part about this is it changes your play and makes you a more dificult player to play a hand heads up

It reduces the bluffs on the river in a short while.. thus he can not steal as much so it lowers his earn against you

soon he will adjust and stop playing so many pots against you and look for a new "fish"

many times the ability to steal is what influences good players to call raises with sub par hands
you think he is just really lucky when he hits but what you don't consider is that when you have AQ and he has KJ and the board is 10 high he knows he will win most of these with an uncalled bet

[Vehn]

You'd figure that some time around the 3rd time you get check raised on the expensive streets you'd learn that this particular person is a "nutpeddler" and to stop paying off with 3 outs on the turn.

What I need to do is what I didn't do. Check behind the check and take the free card. Then I can call or raise depending on whether I improve, or dump if I don't, if, more like when, my opponent bets. I also need to randomize my play against this person by stealing back with a rerasie bluff. And, as you also point out, why play against someone better than you who is gambling that you will miss the flop or turn? I could simply avoid confrontation until I either get better or I have the best hand. I got a lesson, actually a five part lesson, that's for sure. But I am determined not to have that happen again. Thanks.

You would think, huh?