Two Plus Two Older Archives  

Go Back   Two Plus Two Older Archives > PL/NL Texas Hold'em > Mid-, High-Stakes Pot- and No-Limit Hold'em

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-21-2005, 01:11 AM
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default heads up preflop question(s)

I am comfortable playing high stakes no limit shorthanded, but when it comes to heads up, I suck.

I do play it sometimes. I was recently playing an aggressive player heads up, who raised often preflop, and played well postflop. He was raising almost everytime I limped in the small blind (blinds backwards) about 80% if the time. I felt like he was raising me with pretty much anything. I didn't think it seemed right that I should be folding the probable best hands (small blind out of position or not) too frequently. I wasn't sure what to do, but I started raising with any hand I was going to play in the Small Blind (for a little bit). K 3 offsuit, A x, J Q. I didn't like limping and calling with K 3 offsuit and since I thought he would raise anyways, I went ahead and raised (good bad?).
That kind of sucked though because I was raising a lot of pots with crap hands. I was bluffing at a lot of pots after the flop (if I raised pre).

What should I be limping with in the SB? Raising with? I hate limp folding but should I do it a lot against this type of style?
He was also raising out of the small blind probably 50% of the time. So what might you like to call / fold with in position?

Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-21-2005, 03:10 AM
cero_z cero_z is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 307
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

Hi nosellout,

I'm not going to outline a whole pf strategy for you in terms of specific hands, but here are some ideas:

Don't limp-fold hands from the SB when the blinds are "wrong" as they say. Limp-reraise with very good hands. Limp re-raise occasionally with "bust'em" hands like 33 or 75s. Fold almost everything, though, if the guy is raising 80% of the BB/button when you limp. Don't come in raising with hands like K3o that are "too good to fold", but not actually good. Fold them. If you fold everything that's marginal there, he'll respect your occasional raise. So, raise from there with trash as a pure steal once in a while.

Raise him and reraise him liberally from the BB/button. Basically, this structure sucks so bad because the balance of power is too heavily tipped toward the button when they get to act last on every round, including the 1st round. That's why it's supposed to be turned around. The result is that 2 players playing well will not get much of a game, because there should be tons and tons of folding by the out of position SB. Though it's generally a good situation to play HU vs. someone you're a little better than, that's not really true in this format. I don't usually bother unless they're quite a lot worse than me if the BB is on the button.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-21-2005, 09:20 AM
BobboFitos BobboFitos is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: It\'s hot in here
Posts: 551
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

to just add something to this, (about game structure) there are many ways people play poorly. One way however which is very evident HU is not adapting to blind play... Normally someone who folds too much is a great opponent. With blinds reversed, a great opponent is one who looks to play large pots out of position. (Raising BB/button every time)

Not much added, pretty much this:
[ QUOTE ]
Basically, this structure sucks so bad because the balance of power is too heavily tipped toward the button when they get to act last on every round, including the 1st round. That's why it's supposed to be turned around. The result is that 2 players playing well will not get much of a game, because there should be tons and tons of folding by the out of position SB.

[/ QUOTE ]
is dead on
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-21-2005, 09:44 AM
Roman Roman is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 384
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

[ QUOTE ]
With blinds reversed, a great opponent is one who looks to play large pots out of position. (Raising BB/button every time)


[/ QUOTE ]

huh?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-21-2005, 09:56 AM
BobboFitos BobboFitos is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: It\'s hot in here
Posts: 551
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
With blinds reversed, a great opponent is one who looks to play large pots out of position. (Raising BB/button every time)


[/ QUOTE ]

huh?

[/ QUOTE ]

maybe my wording is groggy. a great opponent [that you want to play, they are bad, not great meaning good] is one who is constantly raising
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-21-2005, 06:04 PM
fsuplayer fsuplayer is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 187
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

who was the opponent im curious?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-21-2005, 08:07 PM
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

hi fsuplayer i do not remember his name.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-21-2005, 08:22 PM
Jason Strasser Jason Strasser is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 71
Default Re: heads up preflop question(s)

Good post. The key is to reraise very liberally from the button.

I sometimes start a heads up match reraising every hand from the button. You want your opponent to feel like you are running him over, then they will typically be easy to beat (make obvious bluffs, call down very light).

-Jason
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.