[winky51]

I don't like pushing all in preflop. Changing your style constantly makes sense and outplaying your player heads up. When I get HU with someone at a 9-30 man mini tournament I win 90% of the time. Bascially the only times I lose is when I just happen to run into the bigger pair like AA vs JJ or the fool calls on a long shot and hits.

But I like to play stack and position altering my game. Limping 2/3 of the time with great hands to trap the other player. Raising 1/3 the time with premium. Mixing it up with suited connecting cards by raising on the button. limping and/or raising with crap when I feel my opponent has become uncomfortable playing me, which eventually happens because I start to see mistakes.

Of all the mini tournaments I played only 3 players were so good it was a real challenge, 2 TAGs, and 1 LAG. I split wiht the TAGs and the LAG played pretty well but I found his rythum and nailed him on a bluff.

I agree about raising the good old 2.5-4x the amount and outplaying post flop. Adjust to your HU opponent and their style. If he folds a lot raise more, if he tends to dump all in a lot trap with the better hands for example.

Also I used to always feel when someone pushes all in B vs B the 1st thing that goes through my mind was anger. "This POS is probably trying to bluff I'm calling him". Of course since my early days I take a different approach. But if I instinctively did this I know others do to, weaker players that is. So I mix my raises suspiciously. I take my time.

Like blinds are 250/500 for example.

I would mix raises like, 1400, 1550, 1700, 1250, 1600 constantly. I see players going crazy trying to figure out why I am constantly changing raises.

Well to the point, I prefer to outplay the player and not rely on sheer threat of PUUUUUUSH IT!.

Even AA can be cracked when the opponent gets 5 cards to see to the end.

One very sneaky thing I notice in the live tournaments I play is that I follow Ivey's philosophy of raise less when up front. I play in $65 to $200 tournaments in Florida. The players are always pushing 3-4x the BB UTG with bets. Then someone calls and they feel commited to the pot after making a POT sized raise with AK no pair after the flop.

I make 2.5x the BB raise UTG. Then depending on callers and the board 40%-60% flop bet (more if I hit and tons of callers sometimes). I notice that players are always looking at me suspiciously like I am being sneaky and they fold a lot more often vs me than other players. I do this online too and get similar results.

Unlike before where I raised more and got called more. Just an observation.

Anyways thats my 2 cents. Take it or leave it.