AKo HU

[JDErickson]

HEllo HU players. I normally play full ring games but the hand below occurred HU so I thought I'd get your expert analysis.

Opponent is a decent player. Stats 26% Flops, 6% PFR

Absolute Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB caps</font>, Hero calls.

Flop: (8 SB) 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB caps</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, SB calls.

River: (14.50 BB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, SB calls.

Final Pot: 21.50 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 21.50 BB, between SB and Hero.</font>

Comments appreciated.

[fyodor]

When he's in for the cap on the turn and then leads the river you have to give him credit for something. AT, TT or outside chance of AA. I just call the river bet.

[Garland]

I think you overplayed it. Given that you've defined your strength before the flop and after the flop. I would have given your opponent credit for a hand by let's say his 3-bet on the turn. I think you need to simply call down after you are 3-bet on the turn. I think at best you guys are tied, but there are the list of hands I think he has by now in order of likelihood and how the hand played:

1. 10s
2. A10
3. AK &lt;-----you hope!
4. AA
5. AQ &lt;-----wishful thinking.

Garland

[Nate tha' Great]

Whoa there. You're putting way, way too much money in. The check-raise after the preflop cap smacks of a real big hand. You have no read on your opponent as being maniacal.

3-betting his check-raise is fine; I'd have gone into calldown mode when he caps and then leads out on the turn. If he was giving you this much action with like AQ or something ... well, then you'll have to revise your read on him. But just because its heads up doesn't mean that folks can't occasionally hit the board really, really hard.

[JDErickson]

Thanx for the responses. I have along way to go to be any good at HU.

My thoughts were these:

PF and flop I was thinking she either had AK or AQ based on the PF cap. I didn't think she would cap with AT or TT. On the turn I started thinking maybe TT but for some reason I kept betting. I believe I should have slowed on the turn and just called it down.

Opponent flipped over AA and I felt like a total maniac. I never even considered AA when the A flopped.

THanx
Jim

[rtrombone]

No offense bro but I literally laughed out loud when I read your post. There's just no way your hand is good after all that action unless your opponent is a raving lunatic.

You said you don't have much experience with heads-up play. Well, one difference with heads-up play is that it's correct to play passively a lot more often than it is in multiway pots. Multiway you bet or raise when you think you're in the lead to protect your hand and reduce your opponents' odds. While this concept still applies heads-up, you're frequently going to find yourself in way-ahead-or-way-behind situations. When you're either way ahead or way behind you don't have to play aggressively because your opponent is already making a mistake (if he's behind) in continuing with the hand, even if it's just one bet per street. That is, he's drawing to two or three outs. A lot of times you extract more money from your opponents through passive play, snapping off bluffs and getting him to stick around until the river where you make thin value bets that get called by ace- and king-high.

What did you put your opponent on that you went ballistic on every street? This hand is a perfect example of being either way ahead or way behind. You're ahead of all but three pocket pairs. You're also ahead of every ace. Say he has 99 and you raise the flop. Then he check-folds the turn. Are you happy? When you go ape with this hand you're going to get action only if you're way, way behind to AA, TT, 33 or AT. AQ and AJ aren't going to go too crazy.

My default line: call the flop and turn, raise the river.