Heads up at the end of PP STTs...heres my strategy, help me improve

[jwvdcw]

I find that I'm pretty much a 50/50 winner when it gets down to heads up at these. I'd like to improve on that. I think that I am able to win about 50% of them simply because I am usually very aggressive. However, I don't think I have a lot of skill at them. Really, though, its hard with the huge blinds to outplay your opponent. It seems to me that whomever gets the better cards will win, and theres not a lot that you can do about it.

Heres the deal: Theres 10,000 chips in play, so for simplicity's sake, lets say its 5000 chips per player. And the blinds are usually at 300/600 by that time. The blinds don't go up any more than this. What would your strategy be for this situation?

Heres my general strategy:

I am usually very aggressive preflop, especially if I'm shortstacked. If I have 3000 or less chips, I'll push with any ace, any pair, any high suited connectors(T-J or bigger), and any K-x where x is higher than 9. I'll also generally be rather aggressive like this if he is shortstacked as well because I figure that hes gonna be aggressive and the only way to counter this is to beat him to the punch. If we are even in chips, I'm willing to see flops on a lot of hands.

Post flop, I will occassionally bluff small amounts if he checks to me or if I'm first to act and theres a pair on the board. I'll usually back off pretty quickly against aggression if I have anything less than top pair, although I'm willing to semi-bluff all in on draws if I feel like hes a tight player.

If I flop top pair/good kicker or top pair/good flush or straight draw, I may check to try to trap, but usually I'll just bet out good hands so that I can also bluff at times. I'm not big on getting fancy, and I'll usually just bet out my hands.

My frusteration is this: I'm a good tourney player, but I feel like I'm very average at heads up play. I'm willing to improve, but it seems hard to outplay people when one round of blinds takes up nearly 1/5 of the average stack(blinds are 300/600, average stack is 5000 at this point). Any advice is greatly appriciated.

[jwvdcw]

anyone?

[stripsqueez]

i play lots of these and for the 119 i have in pokertracker i'm 19-14-17

your description sounds good but i wouldnt describe it as very aggro - i push with a few more hands and i will push with near garbage if i figure the time is right

as you probably know it depends a lot on your opponent - you normally get a few hands to size up how tight the other guy is going to be - usually the other guy is too aggro so you can afford to sit on him and fold a few hands

it is plainly a bit of a raffle and i would doubt that better than a 65/35 record would be possible long term

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Matty]

I made a similar thread a while ago and didn't get any real responses.

So now I have headsup hands ranked into groups based on their EV vs random hands if you want them. It's all made out into an easy-to-read chart.

Until I have a good read on a player, I raise my group 10 hands and above from the SB, and I re-raise group 3 and above if I'm raised in the BB and call with group 6-7 (really depends on the opponent). If I'm limped to in the BB, I generally raise with 9 and above.

I've been testing this out at the PokerStars 0.02/0.04 tables, and over a few thousand hands it's been working pretty damn well. The next step is to deposit in UB and try it out in higher level HU games.

If you would like to practice penny headsup with me at PokerStars let me know.

These two offers go for anyone else as well. Just PM me.

[jwvdcw]

I would love to hear any input you have on this including the chart you speak of.

[jwvdcw]

[ QUOTE ]
i play lots of these and for the 119 i have in pokertracker i'm 19-14-17

your description sounds good but i wouldnt describe it as very aggro - i push with a few more hands and i will push with near garbage if i figure the time is right

as you probably know it depends a lot on your opponent - you normally get a few hands to size up how tight the other guy is going to be - usually the other guy is too aggro so you can afford to sit on him and fold a few hands

it is plainly a bit of a raffle and i would doubt that better than a 65/35 record would be possible long term

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[/ QUOTE ]

So you think I should be even a little more aggressive and start pushing with hands like K-x or Q-9?

And, yes, I'd be estatic with a 65/35 win ratio

[stripsqueez]

[ QUOTE ]
it is plainly a bit of a raffle and i would doubt that better than a 65/35 record would be possible long term

[/ QUOTE ]

i feel the need to clarify this remark - i meant if you and the other guy are equally stacked with the blinds at some big level a 65/35 win ratio would perhaps be the best you could hope for in most of these games

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Matty]

PM me your email addy.

[jwvdcw]

email it to icypots@hotmail.com

Thanks

[jwvdcw]

love to hear some more strategies for heads up play in these situations.