My SOP for top pair HU from the blinds - is this wrong?

[spamuell]

This is what I usually do in the situation that I’m heads up against an unknown PF raiser while I’m in the blind. I’ll use an example to make the point.

I’m in the BB with a hand like T9s, there is a PF raiser, everyone folds to me and I call. Say the flop comes 9 or T-high. I will sometimes check-raise here, but usually bet, hoping he will raise (which I think is pretty likely) so I can 3-bet. If he just calls the 3-bet, I can put him on an AK/AQ type of hand and bet into him on the turn, if he caps, I think it’s likely he has AA/KK so I call down, because I don’t really want to fold my top pair heads up in what is now quite a large pot.

The problem with this play though, is that one of two things happens:

1. If I’m ahead, he will call turn the 3-bet and fold the turn unimproved, netting me 1.5BB, not as much as I could probably have got using the old rope a dope.

2. If I’m behind, I will lose 4BB after the flop.

This type of situation where I lose almost 3 times as much when I’m behind as I gain when I’m ahead, not including times when he calls my turn 3-bet and hits one of his overcards is clearly not a good situation to be in.

How else can I play this? Check-call all the way? This is probably better than what I’m doing at the moment, even though someone is going to say “Yuck. Check-calling. I hate this. You’re weak tight” or "you're a fish" or something, I can live with being labelled weak-tight if it will increase my win rate.

Or how about 3-betting the flop and if he caps folding to his inevitable turn bet if I don’t make 2 pair? The thing is, I have top pair, heads up, in a large pot, I really don’t want to fold here, especially as this bet is almost mandatory after capping the flop? So maybe bet into him on the turn and fold to a raise? Same problem about folding here though, and at this pot size I probably have odds to draw to my kicker or trips anyway, and then on the river I have to make the crying call because I’m getting like bazillion to 1 and he might be bluffing.

So what is one to do?

N.B. I know this event isn't the most common thing in the world, but I'm trying to maximise every edge and fill every leak. Obviously this is assuming an unknown opponent.

[Joe Tall]

I saw this post slip by in Micro. I wanted to get to it today, but I forgot, sorry.

HU w/T9s, I think you can fold. I'm a big advocate of 3-betting out of the BB vs. a blind steal. Therefore, my hand is good enough to 3-bet or fold. Against a Late position, frequent stealer, I have 3-bet T9s. Remember HU is opponent dependent.

I know you have stated it is against an unknown opponent. So, I think this is even a better opportunity to 3-bet or fold. Depending on what type of image you'd like to give out.

I also think the exact position of the PF-raiser has to be deeply considered.

I am also an advocate of betting Top pair on the flop heads up.

Oh, and the pot is never particualy large when heads up from preflop.

I hope this helps.

Peace,
Joe Tall

[J.R.]

Obviously this is assuming an unknown opponent.

Headsup is very psychcological and sitautionally dependent, but while opponent's may be unkown, one can often make assumptions from the game (20-40 or 1-2, shorthanded or full, and so forth), where they raised, who other's in the game play, and so forth. Its also really hard to develop an SOP in such a situation, other than to assume most pople don't raise enough preflop, so against an unknown you are likely to be up against a big hand, since most peeple are too timid to puch marginal hands, and T9s often sucks in such a spot.

Most pople aren't LAGs, so weak tight against an unkown is proabably right, since the average player is too passive. However, in a 6-max 15-30 game the average oppoent is more aggro than in a full 1-2 game, so bear in mind the typical profile for an average opponent should vary depending on the game.