How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

I'm currently playing heads up on a Stars $5 SNG. My opponent has a huge chip lead, but he's one of the worst players I have ever seen. He's been unbelievably lucky this tournament. He plays practically any two preflop, no matter how much it costs. He'll call down with absolutely any piece of the board. When it was three-handed, he and the other player were such terrible calling stations that I had absolutely no fold equity - I couldn't steal any blinds because they would just call any raise.

He knocked out the third player and we got heads up, with him having around a 2.5-1 chip advantage. But I have no idea how to beat somebody who doesn't ever fold. I can't steal from him and I can't bluff him out of pots. I feel like I'm completely forced to just sit around and wait for good hands - which, as everyone knows, is impossible to do when you're heads up. Add in to the fact that I keep getting hands like 73o and 42s and I just cannot figure out any way to beat him without getting insanely lucky.

Any help? I've never played a calling station heads up before...

PS - I lost, after crawling back from 900 chips, when I flopped second pair and a flush draw, got called, turned two pair, got called, and got rivered by an A, giving him a higher two pair (top and bottom).

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

Play your hands stronger. You're being afraid to put your chips at risk without a made hand. In headsup that is a mistake.

You need to put serious pressure on him, it doesn't sound like you're doing that. If he is seriously a mediocre player who managed to get where he is (I'm saying this and its a $5.50? heh) then seeing real pressure should back him off.

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

It doesn't. If he has ANY piece of the board (I'm talking as weak as the bottom end of a gutshot on a monotone flop, or even just a backdoor straight draw and undercards) he's calling any and all bets to the end. He's also capable of bluffing if checked to. While it's easy to value bet weak made hands like 2nd pair against him, it's impossible to bluff him out of a pot, so I HAVE to have a hand.

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

As you say, you're in a massive chip hole. You're going to have to take chances sometime soon. If he's seriously calling everything, pick a hand that is >50% against any two and push it (or, depending on how low you get, even a lot of hands that are marginally less than 50%). Once you've doubled up and are off the ropes, you've seriously got the advantage. By just calling with everything, he's allowing you to take the initiative. Once you're no longer desperate, just see some flops and play from there. (This isn't in keeping with 2+2 HU orthodoxy, which says HU is a push/fold game, but that's because most opponents make the mistake of folding too much HU.)

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
It doesn't. If he has ANY piece of the board (I'm talking as weak as the bottom end of a gutshot on a monotone flop, or even just a backdoor straight draw and undercards) he's calling any and all bets to the end. He's also capable of bluffing if checked to. While it's easy to value bet weak made hands like 2nd pair against him, it's impossible to bluff him out of a pot, so I HAVE to have a hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, there you go -- you have to have a hand. So bet your decent hands for value. If you make say 30-40% as many hands as he does, you win (because you're not always calling his bets).

BTW, "also capable of bluffing if checked to" isn't strictly a calling station -- to my understanding a calling station would check for a free card or showdown. I'm more experienced with bad low-limit players than with bad NL players, and they love to check through -- but I understand this is different.

If the bluffing is a problem, c/r on your relatively strong hands (maybe TPGK or better).

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

U dont, its that simple.

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
U dont, its that simple.

[/ QUOTE ]

If that's the case, then "calling station" must be an optimal strategy and between two CSs it comes down to the cards.

I certainly don't believe that; do you?

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

I do believe that the player described by the OP beats the OP on the long run. For the OP, listen to me:
Any A,K,Q,J,suited hand,pair : all-in preflop.
Ok problem solved.

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I do believe that the player described by the OP beats the OP on the long run.

[/ QUOTE ]

Um...no.

I don't see what's so hard about beating this guy. If you have a pair, push it. If he sucks out on you, big deal. [censored] happens. What am I missing?

Re: How do you beat a calling station heads up?
 

Two words: Value bet!