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#1
07-11-2005, 10:42 AM
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Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
The game I've recently began playing is a tougher game than I've played in the past. It's a 10/20 private game in a major city that has a significant number of very strong players, including at least one carp-status 2+2er and another very strong playing pro. The game is much harder than the Foxwoods 10-20, for example, which is a game I've had success in in the past. I've won in the new game so far over probably 20 hours or so (which is still a tiny sample, obviously), but I'm getting used to adjusting my game to slightly tougher mid-limit games.
So, I'm looking for advice from those among you who have experience across a range of limits, and particularly from those of you who play mid- and higher stakes games (10-20 and up). Question #1: Head Up, OOP, flopping top pair My general play flopping top pair in a heads-up pot has usually been to check-raise and lead the rest of the way down against standard opponents. Against notably aggressive/laggy opponents I'll often lead and hope to either three-bet the flop or c/r the turn. I've found in the tougher game that the c/r play is not as automatic because some craftier opponents will be more willing to check the flop, wait for the turn, etc... So my question is: when flopping top pair OOP against a strong, thinking opponent, when should you: a) lead; b) c/r the flop; c) take another line (e.g. check-call flop, c/r turn) Example hand: Deranged is BB with K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Solid MP player raises, all fold to Deranged who calls. Two to the flop. Flop: K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 10 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Deranged checks, MP checks. Turn: 10 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Deranged bets, MP calls. River: 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Deranged bets, MP raises... Thoughts? 
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#2
07-11-2005, 11:58 AM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
[ QUOTE ]
So my question is: when flopping top pair OOP against a strong, thinking opponent, when should you: a) lead; b) c/r the flop; c) take another line (e.g. check-call flop, c/r turn) [/ QUOTE ] Why not lead? He's a strong, thinking opponent, so he knows you're supposed to lead. He knows that you know that you're supposed to lead if you picked up a piece of the flop. Knowing that, he knows that you know that it'll create deception if you check. He knows that you'll try to check and trap him if you picked up a strong hand. Thus he'll check through and take the free card. Why not play it straight and he'll never see it coming? I vote lead.
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#3
07-11-2005, 02:29 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
Good post...as for playing OOP against a good player its only important to mix it up. Check-raise, lead intending to 3-bet, just keep him guessing.
As for the hand I pay off way too much in these spots but I normally call the river raise. I don't see a solid player checking the flop here with a K or a T. Looks to me like he's got KK or TT, figured you for an ace and prayed for one. Either that or a total bluff.
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#4
07-11-2005, 02:34 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
When up flopping TP heads up and out of position against a pre-flop raiser, c/r is my usual play. If you were the pre-flop raiser, it's better to usually bet out.
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#5
07-11-2005, 02:36 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
Nicky,
That's been my standard line too. (I failed to add that I'll almost always lead out if I was the pre-flop raiser). Have you found this consistently good? Against what type of players?
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#6
07-11-2005, 02:44 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
Over the long term this seems to have working consistenly well (I am talking about specific instances when you're playing against a LP raiser). This obviously works best against passive players who will call down with any pair or piece of the flop.
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#8
07-18-2005, 05:45 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
I'd be inclined to say there is no set line here. I think I play a little depending on how the past few hands have gone. If my opponent is on a little tilt, I prefer the c/r. If my opponent feels I'm maybe trying to get to aggressive, I'll lead out (in the hopes of a raise that I'll usually just call, prefering the c/r on the turn after that). In all honesty if you have no idea what you're going to do, there's no way he can. So just mix it up I say. The other day I bet out on quads after this guy watched me bluff 2 hands. He capped me every street.
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#10
07-21-2005, 03:25 PM
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Re: Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position
I assume this is a full game. Against a lot of opponents, I'll treat this as a way ahead/way behind situation and check/call, check/call, bet river.
In the case of your hand, I'd check the turn and call a bet, most likely planning to bet the river whether the turn was bet or not. Luke
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