I hate being heads up

[jonahmavesin]

jesus, man, you've been involved in too many online flame wars. step away from the net, go have a conversation with your local grocer.

not sarcastic.

[Derek in NYC]

OK sorry. I guess here's my thinking on the subject:

1. When a pot is HU, there is a good chance the pot missed you both.

2. If the pot missed you both, many players will bluff at the pot.

3. For players that bluff a lot at pots HU, you can use this judo concept.

4. In practice, the judo concept means you dont show strength on the flop. You wait until the turn, and then you follow through on the river.

5. "Showing strength" can mean checkraising, reraising, three-betting, or raising and leading the next street. It is highly situational

6. Remember that when playing HU, people often underplay their strongest hands, and overplay their marginal hands. If you understand that a lot of HU is about this, you will go far to understanding how to play it.

7. Changing gears in HU play is important, but not so much in a full ring as it is in a repeat player HU confrontation. In repeat player scenarios, game theory says you need to randomize a lot. I have not found this to be true as much in full ring games.

8. These comments work a lot less with passive players who will just call you down. The tactics described above work best with hyper aggressive players and thinking players (e.g. TAGs).

9. I am not a great HU player by any stretch of the imagination, so take these comments are worth what you paid for them.

10. Last point: check-calling the river is sometimes the right move.

11. No really, this is the last point. In limit, you can't realistically win every HU pot. These techniques get you over 50% if you have good reads on your opponents. Sometimes in a HU pot, the best answer is to check fold on the flop.

[crunchy1]

I'm sorry.. did I misread SSH/THFAP??? In fact I can't remember ever reading ANYWHERE in limit hold'em where it's suggested that raising, limping OR calling UTG with KQo is a +EV play???

[donkeyradish]

You got to think what's he (or she) calling this far with, called a raise pre-flop in early position & is still there. Not a big chance they have nothing.

[Monty Cantsin]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't remember ever reading ANYWHERE in limit hold'em where it's suggested that raising, limping OR calling UTG with KQo is a +EV play???

[/ QUOTE ]

Here are a couple of responses from respected 2+2 regulars from a recent thread/poll "Do you Raise with KQo from EP?"

Colgin says:

[ QUOTE ]
I voted raise and I probably do more often than not, but mostly because raising is more fun. I think it is pretty EV neutral one way or the other in a typical game. Now depending on the texture of a particular game it could be a no-brainer one way or the other.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bernie says:

[ QUOTE ]
...it's about neutral however you play it. I used to limp in passive games all the time. Now I just jack it. It makes passives uncomfortable when they have to put 2 in preflop that much.

[/ QUOTE ]

In answer to your other question, yes, you did misread SSH/THFAP.

/mc