Converting 2nd places into 1st places - x-posted in STT forum

[rOCKeMdEAD]

Help required from some of you more experienced players. Below are the figures since I started making proper notes of my STT play. I realise that these are such a tiny sample that they cannot be definitive of my true results but I think they are fairly indicitive of my results prior to starting to keep stats. So can we take them as true figures for the purpose of this posting.

I play 6 seater tournies only + micro limit NL Cash games. I had reasonable results at 10 seater Limit STT but have stopped playing those through bordemn. I'm a tight aggressive player but i'ts not unknown for me to loosen up and switch between.

The problem I have is the heads-up part of the tourny. Of the second places below I can think of perhaps half a dozen where I went in to HU with maybe 60% (4000) of the chips at about the 400 BB mark and managed to lose.
Problem is I can't see why. (***) It feels as though I'm hitting a run of rags as soon as it's HU and having to fold the first x hands. Problem is that the opponent is then nearing my stack and then thinks I'm weak and starts leaning on me. I end up all-in on something only half decent out of frustration and end up getting called and busted. (*** this is the bit that I need you psychologists to advise on)

I realise this is a very loose question but how do I lay the law down early on HU and how do I do it against the different styles of opponent?

If anyone can give me advice on converting any of the lower results (3rd into 2nd) or can spot any holes in my stats then it'd be very much appreciated.

Can I just re-iterate that I think the figures below are pretty close to the mark with respect to my previous results.

Cheers guys,
Mark (Punkguy on Betfair/WillHills)

1st 26
2nd 27
3rd 16
4th 15
5th 11
6th 10

Total 105
ITM 53
ITM % 50.4761904761905

1st% 24.7619047619048
2nd% 25.7142857142857
3rd% 15.2380952380952
4th% 14.2857142857143
5th% 10.4761904761905
6th% 9.52380952380952

[jb9]

Be really really aggressive, especially when first to act.

Don't be afraid to try to steal your opponent's big blind with a weak hand (unless you have a read on him that he will *never* fold).

If your opponent has been pushing you around, you will have to either push back or trap him. Raise or fold -- almost never call unless you are trapping.

Lower your starting hand requirements considerably. I would play any Ace, King, pocket pair, or 2 cards higher than 9 very aggressively heads up at the end of a tournament.

Don't be afraid to lose. Luck is going to be a huge factor in deciding who wins, and since you can't control that, you shouldn't worry about it or get upset by it.

[vexvelour]

I have become a huge STT player. I play a buttload of them and, like you, reach the heads up more often than not.

For me, I like to move in on the button with a high card (I try to stick with aces) and hands like KJ KQ. It really depends on how the other player has been playing. If he's not adjusting well to heads up play, play carefully. He's liable to fold and only play Ax or a good hand. If you're up against a good heads up player, you MUST gain a feel for pushing against him. I would recommend pushing preflop on the button with every acceptable hand you recieve.

Don't feel as if you're giving the other guy more confidence if you fold more often than him. In the situation you describe, tossing the chip lead to the other side isn't as bad as it seems. You must still play with discretion for your cards and the discipline to fold if you know he's got you beat. As much as it feels as if it's a toss up when it's heads up, it isn't. You just have to get your chips in on any pair, or higher.

Hope this helps.

[MicroBob]

I don't think this is a psych question though.

If you think your heads-up play is in inferior then you need to improve and work on your heads-up play.

Some of the advice in this thread seems okay.
Some of the folks in the STT forum are really pretty darned good.

(fwiw - I'm not very happy with my heads-up play either)

[rOCKeMdEAD]

I feel that it might be a psych question as I'm not happy with being leaned on. I need to lean back and that feels like the hard part.
I feel like I'm pretty good at "playing" heads up but as soon as they start pushing me around I lose my confidence.

I liked the advice from the OPs but feel like I need to force myself to play back.

Working at my HU play... hmmm... maybe I should hit the HU tables on my site.

Cheers