HU: Pot Equity vs Pot Odds...
 

The following questions are for NL and PL heads up. I do not play limit.

I have recently moved to heads up play and I am not using pot equity correctly. I have read every post with “Equity” in the title on 2+2, and I have re-read the pot equity section in SSHE, but I still have questions. Also, at the beginning of the pot equity section in SSHE Sklansky states: “Thinking in terms of pot equity is most useful in multi-way pots.” Then he goes on to explain primarily from that perspective. So can someone help we with pot equity in regards to heads up play?

I do fine against TP, LP, and even some TA players. It is mainly with the LAGs that I am having trouble with. I am folding too often and getting run over. When I pick more spots to make a stand or a raise, I am getting into more trouble. I have not used pot equity much and want to see if this will help resolve part of the issue.

In heads up play your pot equity increases, even though the pot odds remain the same. So should I be adjusting my play a little more based on the pot equity instead of just the pot odds?

For example, pre-flop LAG villain raises. He raises every time he comes in, which is about 50% of the time. He is very aggressive post flop. If I check, he is betting almost every time. So he is obviously bluffing. I have 55 in EP and the flop comes J27 rainbow.

Unfortunately I have been playing from too much of a full ring mind set, so in this case, against a LAG I am just checking to him from EP, and then he pot bets, then I fold based on my pot odds.

But heads up my pot equity is 49.8%. Since my opponent is a Lag and could have any two cards (in top 50%), who bluffs quite a bit. So I need to raise and continue the hand based on his reaction, correct?

To go a step futher, if the turn was a K, still rainbow, my pot equity would only be reduced to 45%. If I check and my opponent does a $4 raise into an $8 pot, I am getting 3-1 by calling. If I went by pot odds, it is an obvious fold, but if I go by pot equity and the betting tendencies of my opponent (bluffs a lot), I am still good and should make the call.

Is this correct? Am I slaughtering this?

Can anyone give me an example hand and how pot equity pertains to it heads up?