heads up, i suck.

[squire]

i generally play the $11s at party, just got past my 1st 500. i have an ITM of 44% and roi of 20% my problem is with heads up my 1st 10%, 2nd 17%, 3rd 17%. i am usually quite aggresive from level 4 onwards, as per advice on this forum.
do you guys have specific calling ranges for different types of players hu?
i usaully open raise 3-4Xbb with top 60% of hands and fold to a re raise with anything but premium holdings, occaisionally just pushing to mix it up. i only ever smooth call with a real hand.
any advice? are my 1st too low.
thanks
squire

[junkmail3]

Heads up play is an animal all it's own.

gererally, raise often preflop, don't bleed chips folding.

[tminus]

I think the 1st distribution is low, id be willing to bet you are playnig too passive

My plays depend on the foe and his behavior up until this point Is he folding the SB voluntarily, completing it, or pushing? Does he check the BB or raise it? Is he the type of player that likes to play the flop?

Most of the players at this table dont understand the blinds so you can identify they're weaknesses and really screw with them here

Deception is great HU, you wsnt to establish some control early on. Ill push all in with any pair or ace for the first few rounds and see what they do then adjust from there.

Go donwload PokerStove, it's great to see how hands hold up.

I wish I could be more specific but its a rather large question you're asking

[Wes ManTooth]

do you often find that when you are heads up you start with the chip lead or are you behind? This may reflect the results of your heads up play.

Also it seems that you have some fairly standard rules/plays that you use in heads up. You may want to consider randomizing your play, be more creative, keep your opponent confused.

[Ixnert]

[ QUOTE ]

Deception is great HU, you wsnt to establish some control early on. Ill push all in with any pair or ace for the first few rounds and see what they do then adjust from there.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're playing way too tight if you're only pushing HU with Ax and pairs, even before you have a chance to establish a read.

At least add Kx, probably Q8+, JT as a starting point. Against the typical much-too-tight opponent at the 11s-33s, I come perilously close to pushing any two sometimes. Tighten up a bit (but only a bit) when chips are close to even, loosen way up with more than 75% of the chips or less than 25%.

I suspect this wouldn't work as well at higher buy-ins, but my distribution playing pretty much this way at 11-33 (mostly 22) is 17/9/14, so take that for what little it's worth.

[squire]

i would say when i get heads up usually its about with even chips apart from the exceptions either way.
should i be playin more post flop?
are you happy with any piece of the flop when it hits you hu, even bottom/middle pair?
squire_

[runner4life7]

If blinds are big enough (at least 400) it really isnt that bad to push almost any 2 its better than raising to like 1000 and then folding although i love when people do this. I push any ace and king, any pair any face card probably. If it gets to 300/600 i literally push every hand.

[gisb0rne]

Here's my heads-up strategy:

If my stack size (or my opponent's) is smaller than 12x the BB I push in the SB with Ax, Kx, Qx, Jx, Tx, 9xs, 84s+, 75s+, 65s, 54s, any pair. Basically a crapload of hands. In the BB I raise a call all-in with any Ax, Kx, Q9+, J9+, any pair. I reraise a min-raise all-in with Ax, KQ, any pair (this actually varies a lot depending on the stack sizes relative to the blinds). I call a min-raise with K9+, QT+, JT, and suited connectors 87+. I call an all-in with A8+, KQ, 66+ again varying widely by the stack sizes relative to the blinds.

If both our stacks are bigger than about 12x the BB I call in the SB with almost all hands, I raise 3x the BB with Ax, Kx, Q8+, J9+, any pair.

[youwereborn]

anyone know a good web page/book/etc. where there is an accurate, extensive discussion of HU play?

[clutch]

The HUSH forum.

[Wes ManTooth]

[ QUOTE ]
anyone know a good web page/book/etc. where there is an accurate, extensive discussion of HU play?

[/ QUOTE ]

look in the Heads-Up and Short-headed forum. If you don't find any advice that you need, post this question there.

[Wes ManTooth]

[ QUOTE ]

should i be playin more post flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

depends on blinds, opponent play/style, stack sizes and position. If you feel that you can trap your opponent or push him out of hands post flop, then definately.

[ QUOTE ]

are you happy with any piece of the flop when it hits you hu, even bottom/middle pair?
squire_

[/ QUOTE ]

again depends on those factors above. Heads up I really try to take advantage of the hand position I am in. I prefer post flop play, but as others mentioned earlier they rather push with decent hand. Pushing more heads up has more advantages in the $11sngs due to the total smaller stack size.