---HU SNG Challenge Progress Report---

[Landon_McFly]

Doing very well.

Winrate - 61%

Won - 22
Lost - 14

Net Profit - $62
ROI - 16%

I've realized that I play my best when I'm level headed. I don't really tilt that often, but sometimes I just go through the motions, and that's by biggest weakness. Before I play each SNG I try to psyche myself up by telling myself how bad I'm gonna beat this muthafuker. That helps.

Thank goodness I've ran into so many donks. My fav was on the first hand when I had k7s, and the BB minraised before the flop that was 10-7-7. He checked, I bet, he raised me all in on THE FIRST HAND. His ATo failed to improve. I ran into about 4 or 5 players like this since I've started.

I've avoided SO MANY coinflips. Especially at the early levels. I'm surprised that the blinds at PS go up so slow. Most of the SNG's I win are all in the first level. No one is patient in the low buy-ins.

I haven't been doing a bunch of re-raising preflop in any of the SNG's. Not sure if it's a good or a bad thing. In the early level if the SB makes a decent raise, I usually smooth call with AK or AQ. My thought process is usually that... They think they have the strong ace or king, maybe a PP. When the ace hits and I make a big raise they think I'm bluffing for the fact that I didn't reraise them preflop.

I wish I could keep these stats up. Hope so.

BTW: In the early level, I usually make my raise out of the SB 4BB's, and 5BB's in the BB. I feel that I can easily outplay most of my opponents after the flop, and I usually don't get over-attched to my hand. I like it when they over commit themselves to the hand early when they are drawing slim, and that's what it seems like too many of my opponents are doing.

But I know that 36 is too small of a sample size. I was just wondering if I'm making a mistake here with the 4BB raise early on (at level 2 I also make the 4BB raise, but from then on it's 3-3.5 BB raise, or push/fold< 8BBs)

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
I was just wondering if I'm making a mistake here with the 4BB raise early on (at level 2 I also make the 4BB raise, but from then on it's 3-3.5 BB raise, or push/fold< 8BBs)

[/ QUOTE ]

This sounds goot.

Remember though.....everything you really do is dependent on your opponent...not on some pregame gameplan.

Yugoslav

[Landon_McFly]

[ QUOTE ]


Remember though.....everything you really do is dependent on your opponent...not on some pregame gameplan.

Yugoslav

[/ QUOTE ]

True that. within the first 10 hands I can usually classify my opponent as tight or loose. MOST OF THE TIME (with a few exceptions) I take on the opposite role. If I can tell they are trying to play tight, I act like a maniac, and will make large flop raises that so many players view as a bluff.

One point that my roommate pointed out is that since I play so much better than them postflop, why do I need to raise so much preflop? I completely see what he's thinking, but the way I look at it is that when I put pressure on them by raising 4BBs with hands like 10-8, and the flop is 8 high, they love to try to pick up the pot with Ace high. One reraise later they're feeling like "screw it it's only 10 bucks".

How do you feel about the 4BB raise from the SB in the early levels?(I rarely use the 5BB raise in the BB)

[valenzuela]

Damn I hate you, I suck at HUs..Im now going to movin down to the 10,5s after reading your inspirational post.

[The Yugoslavian]

You can raise more preflop b/c worse post flop players will play biggish flop pots even worse. Generally. Hahaha, had to add that caveat. Okay, some very aggro players will just stuff a ton anyway and so big flop pots may make playing them trickier.....but the players that will cause you problems on big pot flops will cause you problems anyway.

Yugoslav

[Landon_McFly]

[ QUOTE ]
the players that will cause you problems on big pot flops will cause you problems anyway.

Yugoslav

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point

[ QUOTE ]
Most of the SNG's I win are all in the first level.


[/ QUOTE ]

Is this true?

[EnderFFX]

Whenever I mess around with the low level heads up tournaments I've noticed this trend too. At least 40% of them finish before the end of level one and 90% are done before the start of level 4.

[Irieguy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Most of the SNG's I win are all in the first level.


[/ QUOTE ]

Is this true?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, for me too. Max. time has been 53 minutes but average time for me is around 11 minutes with more than 50% ending in level 1.

Irieguy

[astarck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Most of the SNG's I win are all in the first level.


[/ QUOTE ]

Is this true?

[/ QUOTE ]

My insignificant sample of about 70 HU SNGs agrees with Irie's statement.

Max Time: 36
Min Time: 1
Average Time: 14'30"
Ending in Level 1: 42%

Does the percentage of level 1 ending times possibly indicate how aggressive you are? Or how well you adapt to your opponent's playing style?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Most of the SNG's I win are all in the first level.


[/ QUOTE ]

Is this true?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, for me too. Max. time has been 53 minutes but average time for me is around 11 minutes with more than 50% ending in level 1.

Irieguy

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow... maybe I should switch to stars. The bodog structure is 10 hands per level, first level = 5/10, and 1k starting chips. It usually ends at 30/60 or 50/100.

[astarck]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow... maybe I should switch to stars. The bodog structure is 10 hands per level, first level = 5/10, and 1k starting chips. It usually ends at 30/60 or 50/100.

[/ QUOTE ]

But I'm sure you're playing more than 1 hand per minute. So even though you are getting to a much higher blind level, the average time to completion isn't probably far off.

I'm not sure how many hands I'm playing in level 1, but it's WAY more than 10.

[microbet]

Very interesting thread. If you don't mind, what buyins are you playing? I'm curious if it is mainly lower buyins that go so fast. Also, how many tables are you playing?

Well, I can't start until Irie's project is up to make sure I get in my 500 games.

[gumpzilla]

The player archetype I've noticed that is pretty common in low-level HU SNGs on Stars is: loose preflop (will fold pretty rarely to PF action), folds to flop continuation bets when they whiff, will call down if they've caught basically anything. Against these opponents, I've generally been adopting the strategy of trying to see flops as cheaply as possible, so that when we both miss relatively small continuation bets take it down, and it gives me numerous chances to get top pair type holdings paid off by weaker hands.

[microbet]

[ QUOTE ]
The player archetype I've noticed that is pretty common in low-level HU SNGs on Stars is: loose preflop (will fold pretty rarely to PF action), folds to flop continuation bets when they whiff, will call down if they've caught basically anything. Against these opponents, I've generally been adopting the strategy of trying to see flops as cheaply as possible, so that when we both miss relatively small continuation bets take it down, and it gives me numerous chances to get top pair type holdings paid off by weaker hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

So they must be bluffing a lot post flop?

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

So they must be bluffing a lot post flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Occasionally, but not as much as you would think, in my experience (which is still quite limited in these games). It seems like a reaction to another stereotypical HU style of super over-aggressiveness, so maybe they enjoy enough success against the right people to make it worthwhile.

[microbet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

So they must be bluffing a lot post flop?

[/ QUOTE ]

Occasionally, but not as much as you would think, in my experience (which is still quite limited in these games). It seems like a reaction to another stereotypical HU style of super over-aggressiveness, so maybe they enjoy enough success against the right people to make it worthwhile.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was thinking, if they are folding when they whiff, you aren't getting paid a lot when you hit, unless they bluff into you. If they are being passive preflop and weak post flop, it seems like raising preflop and stealing postflop would be good.

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

I was thinking, if they are folding when they whiff, you aren't getting paid a lot when you hit, unless they bluff into you. If they are being passive preflop and weak post flop, it seems like raising preflop and stealing postflop would be good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that's a valid point. The thing is that they fold pretty rarely when the flop hits them at all, so taking stabs at it will pretty frequently miss, and it seems like on balance the effect would be to just effectively raise the blinds. I do still raise occasionally preflop, but a lot less than I might in other circumstances.

I should also note that I have not thought particularly deeply about these games and I'm quite possibly way off base. This is just what I've noticed so far.