Playing Heads-Up Pots Out-of-Position

[W. Deranged]

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?