14 replies to this topic

[razorhate]

I play a lot of limit hold'em sit'n'go and am about a week removed from a very hot stretch. however, the past couple of days, i am actually slowly losing money because i am just getting killed heads up, meaning that i am leaving a good deal of money on the table. does anyone know of a good book or website that deals with these situations. Typically, the big blind is at about 400 when heads up comes into play with 8000 chips at the table. Tips in general would also be appreciated.

[Smasharoo]

Well, there's a lot of fluctuation heads up, especially when the BB is that high relative to stack sizes. How do you feel you are losing? Are you getting run over by more agressive players or are you betting into bettter hands and losing?Most people have trouble being agressive enough heads up in a limit situation and play far too tightly giving up a bunch of chips with pre-flop folds that should probably be raises.Sklansky's Holdem Poker for Advanced Players adresses heads up limit play in general, although not tournaments specifically. It's worth a look at that section of the book to understand the math behind the required agreesive play heads up.

[Kappa1873]

Smasharoo said:

Well, there's a lot of fluctuation heads up, especially when the BB is that high relative to stack sizes. How do you feel you are losing? Are you getting run over by more agressive players or are you betting into bettter hands and losing?Most people have trouble being agressive enough heads up in a limit situation and play far too tightly giving up a bunch of chips with pre-flop folds that should probably be raises.Sklansky's Holdem Poker for Advanced Players adresses heads up limit play in general, although not tournaments specifically. It's worth a look at that section of the book to understand the math behind the required agreesive play heads up.

Anyone else miss the congenial side of smash?No?Me neither.Good luck!

[avsfan]

The funny thing is smash teaches a very congenial game. Which is proably why I respect smash at the end of the day.

[jtwoms]

Heads over to dictionary.com search: congenial.2 entries found for congenial.con·gen·ial ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kn-jnyl)adj. Having the same tastes, habits, or temperament; sympathetic. Of a pleasant disposition; friendly and sociable: a congenial host. Suited to one's needs or nature; agreeable: congenial surroundings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Probably from con- + Latin genius, the personification of one's natural inclinations; see genius.]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------con·geni·ali·ty (-jn-l-t) or con·genial·ness n. con·genial·ly adv. Okay, now that were on the same page, you may continue.

[avsfan]

jtwoms said:

Heads over to dictionary.com search: congenial.2 entries found for congenial.con·gen·ial ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kn-jnyl)adj. Having the same tastes, habits, or temperament; sympathetic. Of a pleasant disposition; friendly and sociable: a congenial host. Suited to one's needs or nature; agreeable: congenial surroundings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Probably from con- + Latin genius, the personification of one's natural inclinations; see genius.]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------con·geni·ali·ty (-jn-l-t) or con·genial·ness n. con·genial·ly adv. Okay, now that were on the same page, you may continue.

3. Suited to one's needs or nature. fwiw.

[jtwoms]

Crap so dictionary didnt even get it right? I'm not real sure what fwiw means, but I am only a young fawn, lost in the woods, trying to make it in this cold, hard world they call internet forums.

[Blink20]

jtwoms said:

Crap so dictionary didnt even get it right? I'm not real sure what fwiw means, but I am only a young fawn, lost in the woods, trying to make it in this cold, hard world they call internet forums.

Fwiw -- for what its worth

[blueodum]

Unless you are facing a player who re-raises you frequently from the BB, when you are on the button you should raise every time. When in the BB, fold to a pre-flop raise only with your very worst hands, call with most and re-raise with a top 15% hand. You should see a flop at least 95% of the time heads-up.If you catch a big draw on the flop or two overcards, bet it. Anything as good or better than bottom pair with decent kicker on the flop should be played aggressively as well. These hands should be called down to the river almost every time.Jen has some good advice in SS2. Here are examples:"Say the button raises and you call with K-6. The flop comes Q-8-6, giving you bottom pair and an overcard. You should never throw this hand away on the flop. It's probable that you have the best hand, and even if you don't, you have five outs to win the pot, namely three kings and two sixes. If fact, if you flop this hand you should probably bet right our or go for the check-raise on the flop." (emphasis mine)"Sitting back and waiting to trap your opponent with a big hand simply doesn't work in limit poker. This is a viable strategy in no-limit because you can trap a player for his whole stack, but in limit poker the best you can do is maybe win an extra bet or two. In the meantime, while you are waiting to trap him, he's just picked up more than three or four bets from you for nothing!"I've been using Poker Academy 2.0 to practice my heads-up play. I've played 900 hands against Sparbot (the weaker of the two bots used by the program) so far and I've been crushing it to the tune of 5.5 BB/100. Statistics show that I pre-flop raise much more often, and fold less often on the turn than Sparbot - and I believe this is the source of my advantage. Sparbot plays a conservative, defensive strategy, but even it doesn't fold pre-flop or on the flop very often.

[No_Neck]

I don't think you should do anything everytime. that makes you perdictable. Just play a bunch of heads up matches and remember you are only playing against one (basically random) hand.

[blueodum]

Raising pre-flop from the button heads-up everytime does not make you predictable. Remember that this action is always the FIRST one of every hand. Your opponent has absolutely no idea what you have based on this action. And that's a very good situation for you.

[Jordan]

i play a good deal of limit hold em' and really the key to be a winning HU limit player is picking your opponents.play a bad hu player and you should win.play a good hu player and you most likely will pay more to rake than each other (that is a low limit).i like playing HU, but if I find my opponent to be as good as me, or better, i will sit out cause I dont see a point in playing the game.sometimes i will play a tough opponent just to do it..but i dont see it being very profitable.that being said...a tough opponent to me is someone who raises a lot, but not every hand. i love playing ppl who raise me every time they have the button cause that mold of a player is yet to beat me.i hate playing weak/passive players - most annoying type of poker player on the planet, especially when playing HU.start at the low limit HU to get experience (and wins) and move up. it's really not that tough as you play more and more...and be ready for variance.- Jordan- Jordan

[WonderfulSplash]

blueodum said:

Unless you are facing a player who re-raises you frequently from the BB, when you are on the button you should raise every time.

Another reason to hate party poker, who the hell puts the dealer in the BB when its heads up.

[checkymcfold]

No_Neck said:

I don't think you should do anything everytime. that makes you perdictable. Just play a bunch of heads up matches and remember you are only playing against one (basically random) hand.

pfft.if i'm not playing an opponent i respect, i raise every hand from the SB, and every hand limped to me from the BB.every one.you'd be surprised how many heads up players will fold to a flop bet if they don't hit a draw or pair on the flop if they're raised preflop, even if that opponent has raised every hand so far.it's funny, really. take their money. it's free.

[blueodum]

"i hate playing weak/passive players - most annoying type of poker player on the planet, especially when playing HU."I'm sorry but this is just pure stupidity. Weak/passive players are guaranteed losers in limit heads up. Playing one of these is equivalent to having them deposit money directly into your account.I stand by my "raise every time when in the button". The only time it won't work is when you are up against a skillful player who will often reraise you. In any case, if you limp you'll likely face a reraise. Other than that, it is the best pre-flop percentage move (you are getting more money in when you have an edge; and being on the button heads up is a HUGE edge in and of itself) and GIVES AWAY NO INFORMATION.It especially works against passive players, who might think you are getting hit in the face with the deck and might fold everytime they don't hit the flop.