HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

I've just finished reading Harrington on Hold Em (vols 1&2), and feel that it has improved my game. I do take issue with one of his strategies. I don't know: mabye I'm missing a fine point.

He says HU in the small blind, you are getting 3:1 on your call (true). He says that, because any hand is less than a 3:1 dog to win (against a random hand), you should call w/ any two.

I agree that this logic is true, but with one caveat: It is only true if you KNOW you won't be raised. The way I play,I like to come in for a raise most often. Occasionally, I'll limp w/ a monster, but usually raise to get fold equity and win w/o a showdown. It would seem that, limping w/ a trash hand (say 52o), I'd look very suspicious and most knowledgeable players would put in a healthy raise. This puts me in the situation of either 1. Putting more money in the pot with a hand that's a dog to win, or 2. Folding after putting extra money in the pot to call the BB. I use just this strategy against players unable to fold in the SB, raising w/ basically any paint w/ a 7 kicker or so.

Don't get me wrong: I've loosened my calling requirements considerably as I've gained experience; I'll usually call down to T6 or 98s. I just feel that you'll get raised too often to make that 52o playable.

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

I think he said something about folding the worst 20% or 30% of hands if the BB is going to raise liberally when you complete, although I only skimmed that part so I may be off.

You might get better responses in something like 1-table tournaments board, everyone here seems to stick with limit.

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

SB button or SB OOP?

I tend to be more liberal with position, and against passive preflop players

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

Part of the consideration in NL tournament strategy is implied odds. If you notice from WSOP coverage, a lot of knockout hands are trash hands that hit a lucky flop. In limit, you don't have such good implied odds, so there may be hands that aren't worth playing.

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Part of the consideration in NL tournament strategy is implied odds. If you notice from WSOP coverage, a lot of knockout hands are trash hands that hit a lucky flop. In limit, you don't have such good implied odds, so there may be hands that aren't worth playing.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
I think he said something about folding the worst 20% or 30% of hands if the BB is going to raise liberally when you complete,

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

Never folding SB cannot be correct, what if BB is a better player than you? You will be out of position with worse hands, and he even has the option to raise you whenever he has a better hand. Not good.

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Never folding SB cannot be correct, what if BB is a better player than you? You will be out of position with worse hands, and he even has the option to raise you whenever he has a better hand. Not good.

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Doesn't the SB have position HU?

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

depends on the organisation of the site. Usually button is SB so has position HU postflop, but is OOP preflop.

Other sites, SB is OOP pre and postflop. There is apparently no standard, although i prefer SB being button postflop.

Re: HU Play as per HOHE: NEVER fold SB?
 

Yes and no- sb is out of position preflop and in position postflop. So mostly yes.

Edit: I'm too slow.