Heads-Up NLHE Hand

[ML4L]

Hey all,

Despite all of the alleged fascination with heads-up NLHE around here, there aren't many posts to show for it. So, I thought that I'd toss a hand out, just for the hell of it.

The scene: the aftermath of a $0.25/$0.50 home game that was basically me and some friends drinking and messing around. It got down to three-handed, then I busted one guy on a "badass" river check-raise after having flopped a boat. But anyway, so now it's down to me and one other, and we agree to take everything but $25 off the table and play HU.

The opponent: in short, a non-serious player who is generally a little loose and a little passive, but pretty decent HU. More detail... Not "knowledgeable," but far from clueless. She is a reasonable hand-reader and is capable of making some pretty good plays based on her read (e.g. calling down with a small pair if she puts her opponent on a draw/bluff). She is a fan of slowplaying/trapping. She sees me as being loose and aggressive and doesn't like my bullying her. As a result, she will (often correctly) make a stand against me with some flimsy holdings (but, this lets me bet many more hands for value).

The hand: We've just begun a few minutes ago, and I can't remember who was up a dollar or two at this point, so we'll call it even. I am the SB/button and raise to $1.50 with T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. My opponent calls (as she would with most anything playable, even as little as Q7o). Flop comes:

8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

My opponent checks, I bet $3, my opponent thinks and calls. $9 in the pot; turn comes:

6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

She checks, I think for about 15 seconds before betting $5. She thinks for about 30 seconds as I play mind-games with her. She eventually calls. $19 in the pot; river comes:

4 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

My opponent goes all-in for $16.50.

Call or fold? FWIW, it is unlikely (but technically "possible") that she has a 5 here.

This might be one of those hands where it's impossible for anyone not in the hand to give really good advice about the river, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to post it anyway. Thoughts on other streets? I think that the turn is pretty interesting and that I might have butchered it...

I'll give my thoughts later. Thanks in advance.

ML4L

[gavrilo]

Fan of "Slowplaying/Trapping"...
I would check the turn myself, you have something to showdown, but you really can't beat all that much. I would keep the pot small and maybe call a reasonable bet on the river.

[AJo Go All In]

FWIW, it is unlikely... that she has a 5 here.

umm, call. what's the problem?

[smartalecc5]

the problem? THE STRAIGHT!

i dunno waht id do, i just hope i would never have to put myself in that position.

[ALL1N]

She doesn't sound sophisticated enough to be betting this river with anything but a boat/straight/bluff. You say she shouldn't have a 5 here. Sooo..... call.

[gomberg]

I think you played it fine. On the river, the bet feels like a bluff - maybe a hand like A7 or something hoping you fold an overpair or an 8 because of the scare card, maybe a missed flush draw. I'd call, although I wouldn't like it. I don't know about checking the turn (I'm assuming that's what you were thinking). I am a fan of the bluff inducer with a bluff catching hand, but there are a lot of draws out there that you are afraid of. Was she acting on the turn when she took so long to call? Ahh - the fun of head up / short handed play [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Zag]

Against someone who likes to trap, you always have to be thinking about whether you are getting trapped. She could easily have flopped the straight with 9T, or she could have flopped a set and filled up on the turn. On the other hand, when you are heads up, any top pair is a pretty good hand, and you have to be willing to put some chips behind it.

I can't fault your play at any street, though I do think your turn bet is a little small. It looks like you are trying to bet as much as you can without quite getting yourself pot-committed. It's like putting up a "steal this pot" sign.

I agree that I don't think the 4 helped her, unless she has 55, which might have gotten this far. She also could have 56, though then, technically, the 4 didn't help her because she was already ahead.

If you think that she is capable of this bluff, then call it a little less than a game-theory-correct percentage of the time. Less, because your flop and turn bets should make it look more like you will call, which makes the correct bluff percentage smaller. Her bet is a little less than pot-sized, so the correct call percentage is a little more than half. Glance at you watch, and call if the second hand is before the 6.

[Jason Strasser]

Dunno about this Mike,

But it sure as hell looks like she has an overpair to the board. At least by your description and such, I could completely see her tabling something like QQ here.

[AJo Go All In]

it does? why?

[hebe151]

You said she would call the preflop raise with anything playable including a Q7o why would it be out of consideration for her to call with A5. I would fold