I CAN'T WIN!!...Heads-Up Help!!

[jmillerdls]

Ok, so this isn't exactly true. I've been running hot as hell all month, but my lack of firsts is troubling.

I've tried the hyper-aggressive push every small blind when the blinds are significant. I've tried setting traps. I feel like I am missing on a key ingredient that would let me take full advantage of how hot my play has been of late....I think these stats show what I mean.

http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/7251/115mm.png (http://imageshack.us)

Ok, so those of you out there with more firsts than any other position...what is the key to winning at the very least 45%? I would say that I am not entering short stacked a majority of the time. So its purely from faulty play on my part that I keep getting second.

My default play is to push every small blind, and only call all ins with much better than average hands. Need help! /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[pergesu]

Jeez, if your ROI continues at 32 I wouldn't change a [censored] thing

[runner4life7]

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Jeez, if your ROI continues at 32 I wouldn't change a [censored] thing

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[jmillerdls]

Well, lol, yeah. But, I don't see any way this is possible. I think this is just a massive heater (the biggest one I have had). I'd assume its going to settle down at some point, and I'm just afraid I'm losing a lot of value not winning my fair share of heads up confrontations.

[danger_mouse]

First, don't try to fix anything until your ROI drops. ;-)

Heads up is very situational. There is no one strategy that will help you. The best thing that I can suggest is that you craft your strategy to your opponent. With that said, usually in the 10s, your opponent will be fairly passive heads up (even if he was aggro throughout the tournament). Attack his blinds regularly and always at least call from the SB. If he folds more than he calls a lead out flop bet, you can pretty much nickle and dime to death.

If you are against someone more aggressive, then you are going to have to pay very close attention to his betting patterns and try to counter them. Sometimes you need to set a trap, sometimes to you to bite off his bluff on the turn with a bluff of your own.

It's quite possible this is just variance. But, still good to examine your play. I recently went through a heads up cooler and found some problems when I examined the HH. I also found that I experienced quite a bit of bad luck.

Take a look at the SB pushes to make sure you're really in push-any-two situations. Do the same with your BB calls -- if your opponent's pushing range is wide, you might find you're not calling often enough.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Your ROI & ITM are very good. What percentage of the time you get to HU are you the chip leader? If that number mimics your results, your option is to get more aggressive on the bubble and just before the bubble, but that will tend to lower your ITM (but probably not your ROI).

In your situation, I'd be careful about trying any pre-money changes. Once HU, my only suggestiona are 1) randomize your play more and 2) try to get a better profile on your opponent before HU to see if he has any tendencies you can exploit.

Otherwise, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[caretaker1]

Is there any way to check this in Pokertracker without searching throught the games individually?

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Is there any way to check this in Pokertracker without searching throught the games individually?

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Not that I am aware.

[caretaker1]

Thanks

[jmillerdls]

Ok, it has only been one day, but I feel this is very good advice. I had been previously just trying to run people over by going in every SB. Clearly they catch on...and it loses its affectiveness after a few hands.

Today I have been starting out this way, but then changing gears when I feel its warranted. I tried mini-raising from the SB, even just calling a couple times. It seems like they can't catch on at all to what I am trying to do, then I go back to running them over when I feel I can get away with it.

I have 2 firsts and 2 seconds today. However, I was shorstacked in both of the ones I got second in. I'll keep working but I already feel more confident...thanks for the advice.

I had similar results where I had far more 2nds and 3rds than 1sts. However, looking deeper into it I figured out that PT wasn't getting a lot of my 1st place summaries. Try going to Party and Affiliates tournament results-manual entry (assuming you play on Party)and scroll down through your existing tournaments. If there are tourneys where they show finishers 2-10 and your name isn't there, then you need to manual enter your name for first. Hope this helps.