[PrayingMantis]

eastbay,

I have two questions/observations, regarding your post. I'm not sure what I'm saying is completely true or anything, so I'll be happy to read any counter-criticism.


1. This refers to how your model actualy works. I understand you'll try different strategies on the blinds, and play them, each, for a whole HU tourney. However, you state:

[ QUOTE ]
Also assume that when you're on the button, your play is dead even, so we're only going to look at a series of plays with you on the big blind, deciding whether or not to call.

[/ QUOTE ]

If so, how will your simulation work up those "button" situation? Is it going simply to skip them, and leave Hero on the blind for the whole game, constantly puting a fixed amount of his stack in the pot? This is, obviously, very bad for him. Or is it that each time hero is on the button, both opponents push (that's a good simulation of "even play")? I think the way you are treating this problem might have significant affects on the outcome.

I guess you can solve it by stating that both players are paying equal blinds on each hand. However, this is *very* different from real HU tourney situations, when BB puts two times what button puts. This can be extremely important with high blinds and equal stacks.


2. When you ask: "what is the optimal play against this maniac?", and on the other hand state that both of you play dead even (when Hero is on the button), you are obviously saying that your only "advantage" against the opponent is in the range of hands you choose to call his all-ins with. And this goes back to a variation on the eternal "System" debate, i.e., it is a question of how high is the blind comparing to your stack.

If the blind is very high (approaching 100% of your stack) you cannot, by definition, have any "optimal play" against this guy. It's a crap shoot, and his play is optimal as yours (if you call). As your stack grows in proportion to the blind, you can wait for better and better (range of) hands to call. In the opposite example, when the blind is approaching 0% of your stack, your "optimal" play will be simply to wait for AA. His play, in this case, is far from optimal as possible.

Computing the range of hands to call with, for each proportion of blinds/stack, should be a fairly easy mathematic problem, IMO. I don't see why a simulation is needed here. Please elaborate.

PrayingMantis