HU (1 on 1 SnG) Profitable?

[johnnybeef]

[ QUOTE ]
F*ck that. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
I've never even played limit holdem, let alone any other type of poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

edit: seriously though, how the hell have you never played limit holdem??? I mean I could understand not playing triple draw, stud 8/ob, or even stud, but limit holdem???? damnm, my edge at that format would be bigger than i originally thought.

[Irieguy]

I don't think my reasoning is malarky... but my explanation may have been malarkish.

Let's say there is a thing... and this thing is called "expert HU ability." I've seen people attain this thing, and they've all done it in similar ways.

You are saying that it should be possible to attain this thing in a different way. There's no reason for me to say that you are wrong.

What I can say is that I've never seen somebody who plays only holdem have a lick of HU ability. As soon as I see it, I'll change my mind... or at least acknowledge the exception.

Also, the reason why Danny Negreanu is willing to play anybody HU in any game for up to $500,000 is because he knows it's true, too. He's great at every poker game and knows that there are only a handful of players in the world who play every game as well or better than he does (Greenstein, Brunson, Ivey, Forrest, Reese, Giang). He figures only a few of that handful will bother taking him up on his challenge, and he can spend the rest of the year playing HU against single-game specialists who mistakenly feel that because they are a better limit holdem player (or whatever) than Negreanu, they will have a chance against him heads up.

My opinion is that when you are playing HU in a specific game, it is more important that you are a good poker player than a good "specific game" player. In fact, I could invent a poker game and spend a year playing it and thinking about it... and I'd still rate to lose a heads-up match against Phil Ivey 5 minutes after teaching him the game.


Irieguy

[Phill S]

If you designed any game specifically for heads up, have betting rounds, you can call it poker and play it non stop for a year and piss on anyone from great distances because of it.

You just cant adapt a game that isnt specifically heads up orientated and have the same edge.

I have no idea what the game would be like, but you could build safeguards into it so that the edge of the experienced player outweighs a new player, complex wild card rules to think of one of the top of my head.

Phill

[microbet]

Taking things literally I agree with citanul. I don't think there is any reason why you can't just play HE HU and become the best HE HU player in the world.

However, I think pretty much every time that I have studied or seriously played another game I have improved my NLHE (at least in the long run). Sometimes it is because you apply a principle that is more clear in another game and sometimes it is because you more clearly see something by contrast.

[doggin]

Please, just one example!?!
How can stud or omaha make me a better HE player?
I'm not disputing you, but like what?
Thx

[valenzuela]

I agree with Irie. Irie isnt saying :
only HE player= cant master HEHU
Irie is saying:
complete player > only HE player.

Why dont you guys play..ehhh...No Limit Santiago poker.
I play it with my friens time to time.( I prefer 20x the antes as stacks)
Everyone puts up antes, and everyone shows their card to their oponents, the catch is that they cant see their cards.
A round of betting occurs highest card wins.

Before u make fun I think it requires some skill
For instance.
7...12( stack) check
Q...23 check
X(you)...18
2 ...27

so what do u do here...winner takes all payout.

[Nicholasp27]

so u see everyone's card but your own...

so u can obviously use probability to see what odds are that your card is higher than the highest card that you see...however if u are in late position, u can use the betting to help u out...if people are betting, then that means u dont have a large card...or they could be bluffing u as well...or say u see 5678 so 24 cards that are better out of 48, so 50% chance u have 9+...well ur opp may see 569 and think he has a high chance of having 10+, so he may have bet, but that could scare u from ur card, etc

so there would be some strategy in that game; interesting to think about

[valenzuela]

I forgot the most important thing about my post.
If u put Irieguy, me, Phil Ivey and Citanul on a table, chances are Phil Ivey will own the table even though I MADE UP THE GAME!!!! I also see irieguy constantly outplaying me & citanul( im supposing citanul has never played other games REGULARLY ) Citanul vs Me..I believe I can be tough if Im to his left.

[Phill S]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with Irie. Irie isnt saying :
only HE player= cant master HEHU
Irie is saying:
complete player > only HE player.

Why dont you guys play..ehhh...No Limit Santiago poker.
I play it with my friens time to time.( I prefer 20x the antes as stacks)
Everyone puts up antes, and everyone shows their card to their oponents, the catch is that they cant see their cards.
A round of betting occurs highest card wins.

Before u make fun I think it requires some skill
For instance.
7...12( stack) check
Q...23 check
X(you)...18
2 ...27

so what do u do here...winner takes all payout.



[/ QUOTE ]

I play this under the name 1 card stud. Usually heads up only and only as a break from other games.

Quite difficult heads up, ive bluffed people off aces loads of times as the psychological edge is quite massive if you know your opponants. But its like any other game, it helps in certain ways my NL holdem game, but not as much as playing NL holdem would.

Phill

[Nicholasp27]

but if u studied your game for a year, then you should have the edge on ivey at least in the beginning...he may quickly surpass you, but at the very beginning u should have a better feel and read on the game than he does