Stars Turbo S&G Heads-Up Play: Comments Please
 

Heads up in a $5+.50 Turbo NL S&G on PokerStars a few minutes ago. Blinds are T400/800. I have roughly T9000 to my opponent's T4500. My opponent, who was pretty tight before we got heads-up, has been moving all in about 75-80% of the time when he's on the button with the SB, or I limp from the SB. I have K8h in the SB. Initially, I thought about raising, but I expected him to move in if I limped. If he pushed, I intended to call. That is exactly what happened.

Does anyone think, given the above, that I'm ahead enough of the time for this strategy to be correct? He was folding to most of my raises out of the SB, but I thought my hand was good enough to take a shot at taking him out at that point, hoping he'd push with a weaker hand, before it became a total crapshoot. I think I like my play, given the context, but I'd like some feedback. The major downside with my play, as I see it, is that I was pretty sure I could outplay my opponent postflop, as he seemed to be playing pretty weakly.

**RESULTS BELOW**
































He had Q7d, and I made kings and eights to win the tournament.

Re: Stars Turbo S&G Heads-Up Play: Comments Please
 

If he is moving in with his top 75-80% of his hands I would also call his all in. However, I think the better play is to move in preflop - the blinds are big and you hand is strong against a random hand. Go for the folding equity by moving in preflop.

-SmileyH

Re: Stars Turbo S&G Heads-Up Play: Comments Please
 

[ QUOTE ]
If he is moving in with his top 75-80% of his hands I would also call his all in. However, I think the better play is to move in preflop - the blinds are big and you hand is strong against a random hand. Go for the folding equity by moving in preflop.

-SmileyH

[/ QUOTE ]

Like I said, though, he was folding to most of my raises. My thinking was, before the blinds got too huge (I think the next level was T600/1200), I wanted to give him the chance to hang himself with a weak hand. I realize that raising would give me folding equity, but I think I'm ahead often enough here that I want to get all the money in the middle--IF he pushes. If he makes a smaller raise, I'd actually be worried I was behind.

Not sure I'm articulating my thought process well enough, but hopefully you follow my thinking here.

Re: Stars Turbo S&G Heads-Up Play: Comments Please
 

"The major downside with my play, as I see it, is that I was pretty sure I could outplay my opponent postflop, as he seemed to be playing pretty weakly."

How could you play him postflop at all when he is going all-in 3/4 of the time before you see the flop?

You played this hand well. You should have done it with worse hands, too.

It looks like about 1/12 of the entire chips at the table are in the pot before the hand is dealt. This makes going all-in a whole lot a great move, especially if your opponent is folding. You cannot fold K8 in this situation.

I really like your play against this specific opponent, but most of the time I would have just pushed myself.

-Michael

Re: Stars Turbo S&G Heads-Up Play: Comments Please
 

Actually, Smiley is right and I was wrong. And I would call here with Q7s

-Michael