[cognito20]

Hi Andy. Thanks for your reply. This is probably better posted in the Headsup or Hold Em forums, but since the original reply/response was over here, here goes. As far as headsup holdem goes, I don't necessarily LIMP with any 2 cards from the button in a headsup match. In fact, I generally use randomization techniques (suits of the cards, the last digit of the seconds display on the digital clock I generally put within my sight when my brother and I play, etc. ;-) ) to determine, on the button, whether I'm going to limp or raise with any particular hand. So basically, he has no way whatsoever of telling just from my first bet whether I'm weak or strong. If I limp with a good to strong hand and he jacks it up, he's usually (not always, to add some deception, but usually) going to get reraised if I have any ace, any king, any 2 cards 9+, or a pocket pair, and I'll at least see a flop with anything else.

I also certainly agree that there are plenty of hands that are, situationally, more than 3:1 underdogs against other hands, like the 4.5-1 big pair vs. smaller pair scenario you mentioned. Problem is, if I'm sitting there with a pair on the button, I'm not automatically assuming that my opponent's waiting for me with a higher pair. If he does, then, yes, I'm a 4.5-1 dog -in that situation-. Most of the time, he doesn't have anything like that. I contend that, against the range of hands he is likely to have (which, in a heads-up match with me acting first, is absolutely anything...i.e., a random hand), there is no hand that is that big of an underdog against that range. I haven't done an analysis of it, yet anyway, but I would be surprised if even 7-2 offsuit, played against 1 million random hands by a computer, won less than 25% of the time. Maybe it would, but I'd be surprised. If by my reads of my opponent, the subsequent betting, and other info that emerges throughout the play of the hand, I know or have a pretty good idea he has something better, then, yes, I need to adjust my thinking and calculation of the odds. But coming first in from the button, I have no reason to fear monsters under the bed unless I have some palpable evidence that they're there first.

Thanks for the poker calculator recommendation as well, and for your advice on Stud and Razz. I'll have to play around some on twodimes and let you know what I find out. And, Shootah, thank you as well for your Razz advice...there's so little out there on heads-up Razz (or Stud, for that matter) strategy that every morsel I can soak up is appreciated.

--Scott