Heads-up help please!

[William Wilson]

In 30 Sng HU matches varying between the $5.50 and $22 levels on Stars, I've won just 53%.

I've realized I have pretty solid fundamentals for a beginner against a full ring and even shorthanded, but I have no real clue heads-up.

My basic strategy is to raise first in with any Kx or Ax starting hand, and to go all the way (especially shortstacked) with any A9+, pair, or solid face-card combination.

Can anyone point me toward a good thread or good book with HE strategy or provide some of their own advice? This is costing me money.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

[RPatterson]

I say screw heads up matches. You never know if your opponent is a moron who will call all-in with 3rd pair or if he plays weak and will fold top pair ace kicker.. And luck is such a factor. Screw heads up matches. It's the game where a bad player has the best shot at beating a good one.

[William Wilson]

To clarify, I shouldn't have said heads-up matches. These stats are from one-table SnGs where I've reached the final two.

Should have made that clear,

Bill

[eastbay]

You have to consider stack sizes going heads-up for your 53% to have any meaning. If you came in outchipped 2:1 on average, that's an excellent showing. If you came in outchipping 2:1 on avg, it's a terrible showing.

Reaching heads-up with a lead is as big a part of winning as is your HU play itself. Something to think about.

eastbay

[William Wilson]

Regretfully, I don't have stats for stack size, although I'm guessing I'm behind about 60-65 percent of the time because it seems I'm usually battling on the bubble. Maybe these are just the ones I recall more clearly ... who knows?

In general, however, I think it would help to have confidence heads-up, to have a sense that I know what I'm doing.

Is there anything out there you would suggest, or is it all just experience?

[eastbay]

Grain of salt: I'm no HU guru, but...

I do know that with party's structure, if you move in every single hand before the flop, you could only be beat something like 55-57% of the time no matter what your opponent does to counter you.

On the other hand, if you wait for a premium hand to either raise or call, your opponent can very easily destroy you something like 90% of the time.

The moral of the story is that it's much better to be too aggressive than not aggressive enough. When in doubt, throw your chips in.

eastbay

[Lori]

Playing play money heads up will be a reasonable way to learn to cope with this.

Sit down short stacked and tell yourself you 'win' if you double before you bust.
You could even tell your opponent your plan so they know what their target is.

Although play money generally sucks, in the high blind short stack scenario, the crazy-aggressive play money fishies are actually surprisingly close to good play.

Lori

[mackthefork]

No limping, no all ins before the flop, raise about 75% of the time for 2.5 BB, steal a bit, do exactly the same with good hands as bad and you will get plenty of action when you have something, after the flop is much more dependent on the other player imo.

Regards ML

[DrPhysic]

WW,

I don't want to start a flame war and opinions vary widely and run hot on how to play HU, but here are some ideas. Use only as applicable.

There is not enough in publication on how to play HU, but there is some. SS NLHE “Short Handed play” P510. Ciaffone, Improve Your Poker, “Shorthanded Poker”, p36. Ciaffone, Middle Limit Holdem Poker, “Shorthanded Play”, P306. Sklansky, Theorey of Poker, ch 21 “Heads Up on the End”, P199 (Only partially applicable to HU play, read in context), Sklansky & Malmuth, HEPFAP, Part 5, “Playing Short Handed”, p183. Sklansky, HEP, “Head Up vs Multi-Way”, p70 (this is really about multi-way, you have to invert his logic). Suzuki, Poker Tournament Strategies, “Playing Short-Handed Poker”, p103. Sklansky, TPFAP, “Down to 2 Players”, p86. There is a reference in Vorhaus, Killer Poker, but at the moment I can’t find it. If others have more references than these, I would like to have them.

Eastbay’s concept of “What were your stacks when you started?” is important. Start a spreadsheet, and record your stack, opponent’s stack, and results every time you get HU in an SNG. If you are winning 53% starting with 1/3 of the chips on the table, your problem is not your HU play, it is the size of your stack when you get to HU. Solve the right problem.

I disagree with Patterson . Play the HU matches on PokerStars. Yes there are some lousy players as well as some good ones. You have to learn how to beat them too. Playing low level SNG's on party, you will occasionally end up against an idiot HU. Consider that by the playing standards of a 215 game, probably everybody in my 11 is an idiot including me. (Not quite so much since I have moved up to $33).

I have played at least one HU match per day in the range of $5.5, 11, 22, at first HU, later 4 player match HU for the last 4 months. I now have more confidence on short table (3players) or HU in SNGs than I do in the entire rest of the game. When we get down to short we are now playing MY game. I did not have that knowledge or confidence four months ago. BTW, my current weakness, that I am trying to improve, is semi-short table 4 or 5 players.

Here are the playing guidelines I use HU. Note GUIDELINES, not rules. And they have to be played slightly tighter short table than HU.

My current guidelines to HU:

Never limp, always raise the BB to find out if he will fold.

Bet any pair, any A, any K for value pre-flop

HU is a big card game – Suited Connectors smaller than QJs are useless.

Bet when any A or K hits the board. (regardless of what you hold)

Bet if opponent checks

On a bluff or semi bluff bet, do not be afraid to lay them down to a large and believable re-raise.

Tighten or loosen based on read of opponent and number of opponents.

Be aggressive

If open raise > 1/3 of stack, Push or Fold

More ½ pot and pot size bets

Be wary of pair or 3 flush on board. De-rate hand slightly to 2 flush on board.

Push, Do Not Call a Push (without NUTS)

Do not call all-in ReRaise (Without NUTS)

Give Action to get Action (Do not be Leotard Larry, too tight to squeak)

Bully with big stack


Premium hands are hard to come by. You must not wait for premium hands (first 3 columns of DS’s limit holdem starting hand chart as an example) in this game. If you do, you will be eaten alive by somebody not afraid to bluff. Tight is good. Winning is better. If you are not playing hands like 22, A2o, K3s, Q8s, J9s your stack is being eaten up. Likewise if you are playing hands like 98s, T9s, JTo, 67s, you are playing hoping for a great flop that happens once in a blue moon. This is not a small card game. Go back and look up all the references in TOP, Ciaffone Improve Your Poker, and all the other basic books and look for the hands they say play well in a large field. Then invert the logic: Don’t ever play those hands short or HU.

I hope this is a help. I well realize that somebody is going to argue with all or part of my logic. That’s ok. These are just my ideas, that does not make them right, or applicable all the time, or for all players. However, I have enough confidence in them that if anyone wants to play a little HU after my vacation, send me a PM. (That offer excludes Lori, Cris, and William. I do not wish to become an ATM).

Doc

[William]

I have enough confidence in them that if anyone wants to play a little HU after my vacation, send me a PM. (That offer excludes Lori, Cris, and William. I do not wish to become an ATM).

This is pure discrimination!
How do I start a legal action?

Abd BTW, I disagree with you about the small suited connectors. these are great cards to limp with. The times you do hit, the deception value is very good.

I also would be carefull about raising the BB every time. Most good players will call and after that you are the first to act and will normally lose. Most of your wins come from the time you are last to act.

As a rule, avoid doing "the same" everytime, as your oponent will very quickly adapt to that situation.

Are you sure we can't play a game now and then? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] (just joking, you are no longer a profitable opponent)

William