Improving Heads up (or: why do i have 4 2nd place cashes in a row?)

[AlphaWice]

I just played 4 SNG's and got 4 2nd places. Last week ive had more 2nd place cashes than 3rd and 1st combined- similarily for all time records.

how do i improve my HU play? Critique these last 2 tourney busting hands:

KJ in BB, 15k on table, hero with 5.4k, SB completes, Hero raise to 1080, villian calls, flop J75, im all in, SB calls with 67, turnriver is 89 i bust

and

A9s in SB, similar stack to above, i complete, BB all in, i call, he shows J3, J spikes


the reason i post these hands above isn't for bad beat story, i honestly dont think i played them that well so i want some advice

[Myst]

Could it just be variance?? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[4T25Q85]

those are bad beat hands, he's not going to runner runner a straight 9 times out of ten, and A9 is a favorite over J3, you'll win with those hands in the long run. Post some hands where you were behind. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[AlphaWice]

no, for example, i have KJ on a J75 board, is it +EV to push??? i think this was bad play and i shouldve got more value,.. hmm?

also, A9 isnt it dominated by pairs and any good ace? is this a good idea to call an all in?? isnt his range alot higher? i do have 12ish BB..

[Jordan Olsommer]

[ QUOTE ]

no, for example, i have KJ on a J75 board, is it +EV to push??? i think this was bad play and i shouldve got more value,.. hmm?

[/ QUOTE ]

The pot contained 2,160 + whatever the blinds were at that level. you had 4,320 remaining in your stack - a pot-sized bet is more than half your stack, and a 2/3rds pot sized bet is 33% of your stack - pushing was the correct move imho. Be glad that he called with his crap hand - most of the time youll be the one sitting pretty with a newly-acquired 2-to-1 chip lead.

[45suited]

Getting your money in as a big favorite + villain sucking out + "What did I do wrong?" = BAD BEAT POST

[burgi]

Ok, I'm actually doing pretty well heads up. What I do is that I play extremely aggressive when heads up. From your examples of A9 and KJ, I would have pushed both preflop! (but, I still play at the 20+2)

[AlphaWice]

no its not a bad beat post. you are just being results oriented.

in those KJ and A9 hands, i think i played badly, because i feel the majority of times that someone calls, they are beating me - especially the A9 hand... am i wrong??

[burgi]

Yes, you are wrong! Heads-up, people will call you with a large range of hands. A9 is incredibly strong heads up. Ok, some times, you run into monsters, but most of the time, you should be ahead with these hands.
When I play heads-up and somebody else pushes into me, I even call sometimes with as much as Q high. Just depends on my read on the villain.
Just push them and hope that he doesn't have a better hand or outdraws you. That's all you can do!

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
I just played 4 SNG's and got 4 2nd places. Last week ive had more 2nd place cashes than 3rd and 1st combined- similarily for all time records.

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
15k on table, hero with 5.4k

[/ QUOTE ]

If you find yourself HU and down 2:1 in chips, you're going to lose a lot of HU matches no matter how well you play.

I found myself being too passive around the bubble and ITM and my win % was suffering because of it and once I ratcheted up the agression I started winning more.

However varience still kicks my ass as evident in my stats from just empire the other day (I usually 8 table)...

1 1st
5 2nd
6 3rd

I ruuuullllee!

[Baked67]

You played both hands perfectly fine man, dont fret over it...Four 2nd place cashes in a row is nothing to get upset over, infact I'd say its something to be pretty happy about...Variance is a bitch, dont worry about it so much. Just keep making the correct decisions and it will work out in the long run

[Karak567]

So you want to know how to avoid getting bad beats run on you?

Uhhh, I don't know. I wish I did.