Adjusting to an opponent that becomes more agressive

[c4onastick]

I'm having trouble beating one person I play with heads-up. I consider myself a pretty good player, and I've started trying to be more agressive which seems to be helping, espectially before and on the flop. We usually play pretty short-handed games, $5 buy-in, with a 10 cent small blind only, and max bet/raise of $1. Not the greatest structure game, I know, but its all I've got to work with.

Anyway, in the normal 4-6 handed "full" game I can walk circles around most everyone, I have little trouble reading hands and adjusting, etc. But when I get heads-up, he usually gets the best of me.

Example:

Played tonite, cleaned house in about 2 hours, it was down to me and him. I had about $25 in chips, he had a little over $5. He usually insists on playing no-limit since its just us and we have so much money.

My "general" strategy for heads-up (from what I've read in HEFAP21, and Theory of Poker) is a lot of raising preflop and on the flop, since its pretty easy to get most players out when you show strength on before the flop and they don't hit. I call a lot on the river, even a few times when I'm 90% sure I'm beat. I usually come out betting on the flop if I'm the small blind, since you have a huge edge by doing so (I think, correct me if I'm wrong, according to HEFAP21).

I've played in "full" games of this type with him alot, and just recently started heads-up with him. Anyway, after about 30 or so hands, I've whittled him down to a little over $3, by (mostly) using the above strategy. We get to this hand and he holds J2off I have Q [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 6 [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] . He blinds, I raise to 40 cents. Flop comes:
J [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] 6 [img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img]

Not looking good for me (in retrospect, hindsight is always 20/20), but he checks, I bet, pretending that J isn't there. He had been playing pretty tight/passive previously, so (in retrospect) however at about this time, he was picking up that I was just betting almost everything on the flop and driving him out of most hands, and was (I'm sure) just trying to give me a taste of my own medicine.
After he calls my bet the turn comes:
2 [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img]

So now I'm thinkin' great picked up my back-door flush also. He checks, but I heed the advice of those greater than me and also ignore the small pair on the board.
River Comes:
x [img]/forums/images/icons/heart.gif[/img] (don't remember the actual card)

In my head, I just landed a monster, he would never put me on a Q-high flush. I still smelled the stench of 2 pair from him. And I bet hoping to get raised, and he does, all-in. Showdown and I got had.

Was my strategy correct? What could be changed to avoid any undue losses? I'm not sure I remember all the details correctly, played many hands after that. But I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.

Anyway, that's not really the problem (and after all that writing), after that hand he became a little more agressive and adopted my strategy, so I countered by becomming slightly more tight, which I probably shouldn't have done. But none the less I continued, slowing the pace of the game slightly too. He took another big hand off me and I was down to about $8.

Last hand:

I get A [img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] K [img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img] (one of my favorite hands to play, ya just gotta bully it)

I blind he raises to 40cents, I call, deciding to "rope-a-dope".

flop comes:
3 [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] Q [img]/forums/images/icons/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/forums/images/icons/diamond.gif[/img]

He bets, I raise all-in. Again ignoring the high card as recommended.

Turn and the River come blanks.

He turns over:
Q [img]/forums/images/icons/spade.gif[/img] rags

And that's the game. What can I do? I'd love to beat him! Or am I on the right track, just missed that time? I'm beginning to thing the all-in bet was too risky.