Am I getting too clever?

[TredWel]

Lately, I've been trying to take my game above just ABC poker. Don't get me wrong, ABC poker has done me well so far, but I'm trying to add more facets to my game - facets that can't be summed up in simple maxims or charts. The following is an example of my attempt to add aggression and cleverness to my game, but I wonder if I'm going a bit too far.

This is at 0.5/1, BTW. Converter didn't notice that.

Party Poker (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, <font color="red">Button raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls.

This opponent seemed to be a TAG, he generally knew what he was doing. This seems like a position raise, and I could very well have the best hand here with ace-high. My plan was to call here and bet/fold the flop unless I improve.

Flop: Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="red">Hero bets</font>...

I will often reraise this preflop, because I am pretty sure your range beats his range. Also, makes your flop bet scarier with that board... And adds an element of "don't try that again."

[milesdyson]

what's your plan if he calls the flop?

[Shillx]

I don't like your plan much at all.

[Buckmulligan]

if i smell position raise hre, I 3 bet preflop to gain some folding equity. Still though, I fold here usually unless it's raised by the SB.

[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
Lately, I've been trying to take my game above just ABC poker. Don't get me wrong, ABC poker has done me well so far, but I'm trying to add more facets to my game - facets that can't be summed up in simple maxims or charts. The following is an example of my attempt to add aggression and cleverness to my game, but I wonder if I'm going a bit too far.

This is at 0.5/1, BTW. Converter didn't notice that.

Party Poker (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">7 folds</font>, <font color="red">Button raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls.

This opponent seemed to be a TAG, he generally knew what he was doing. This seems like a position raise, and I could very well have the best hand here with ace-high. My plan was to call here and bet/fold the flop unless I improve.

Flop: Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="red">Hero bets</font>...

[/ QUOTE ]

Heads up blind defense is hard. There is no single way to approach it. Here are some possible lines:

1) 3-bet preflop - If TAG is raising in position AND he thinks you're ABC, then this will slow him down and cause him to fold a bunch of hands on the flop.
2) Call preflop, check-raise flop - If TAG respects your check-raises, he'll dump a wide range of marginal hands after his auto-flop-bet. If TAG knows that you're at least a somewhat solid postflop player, he may 3-bet you because your check-raise is 'expected' in defense. (Or he might call your flop raise, inducing you to bet the turn, where he'll raise you again.)
3) Call preflop, bet-call flop, bet turn - Donkbets confuse lots of TAGs, especially when there are strange draws coming in on the turn after you lead the flop. Again, having a sense of what TAG thinks of you will help you determine if this will work. Don't go too far, because TAG raising the turn is bad news.
4) Call preflop, check-call flop, check-raise turn - This mimics a slowplayed monster, and scares lots and lots of TAGs into folding decent hands. This works well on paired boards.
5) Call preflop, check-fold flop - Sometimes, you flop nothing and no draws, and the flop comes down in such a way as to make you think TAG has you in trouble (based on how often he raises in position -- 16/8 TAGs have you in deep trouble when the flop is AKx). You can give up sometimes. It's okay.
6) Call preflop, bet-3-bet flop - Save this for TAGs who auto-raise, but like to bet-fold or raise-fold. There are some TAGs who do this far too often and you can really take advantage of their poor play.

Edit: Notice that you need to think your line through. You don't just do something because it looks interesting. There need to be reasons and rationale behind the play, based on what you know about villain. Otherwise, you're falling back into ABC poker.

[TredWel]

I think the range of hands that:
1. A TAG would flatcall the flop with
2. Would fold to a turn bet
3. Would call and I'm beating

would be pretty small, if anything. Maybe a small pocket pair, but that's the only thing I think of. If he called my flop bet, I'd probably check the turn.

[milesdyson]

i'm not sure what your list means, but because a good player will do many different things on such a flop makes it a really hard flop to play heads up and out of position.

say he has T9 and he raises, you waste a bet and fold the best hand. KT, flush draws, same thing. what if he calls with a better hand (say AJ/AQ), and the turn is an A. you're going to lose. he won't fold JT here, and there are many other stealing hands that will have connected with this flop.

in the future, when you decide you want to defend your blind because you have a hand that is likely the best preflop (high card hands), you should 3-bet and lead flops usually. call more often with hands without high card strength but that are likely to hit flops (98s, J9s, for instance).

also keep in mind when defending a button steal heads up that the rake in this hand is going to be paid by only two of you, and that the positional advantage he has over you is definitely worth something.