Texas Holdem Poker

safesoundz · Member Joined: May 24, 2005 Posts: 27

Im normally a tight player and when it gets to Heads Up, i tend to struggle. Especially pre-flop

Is there any advice you could on this specific area?

For example,

Two players me and player 2. Both chip counts are more or less the same

The blinds are quite high i.e 200, 400 = 600 in the pot
I have a 3 and a 5 not suited. Player 2 is the small blind and raised by 400. In this case would you call, raise or fold? (mind you this pre flop).

My normal play would be to fold, but if im having some bad cards dealt to me and the other players keeps raising and i keep folding, soon he will have more chips.

Should i be trying to bluff more by going all in to scare him to win those blinds? I dont think playing tight works when theres only two players left

webmaster · Site Admin Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 643

Playsafez,

You're quite right in your observation that playing tight does not work in HeadsUp. Getting to Heads up in a tournament requires skill, but winning the heads up has as much to do with luck. In the situation you've described it appears you've been playing tight all along. If you had gone allin with the 35 your opponent would assume you've caught something big and will most likely fold as your table image is steady.

What you should realise is that even if he doesn't fold because he has AK or something similar then you still have a 30% chance of winning.

Going allin with the 35 should cause a fold, if it does you get the blinds and also another set of cards. The next cards will probably be better and this is the stage in a game you really want decent cards. Lets say you get them next time - you go allin again and your opponent now thinks you're bluffing because you can't have good cards all the time. You are more likely to be called this time due to going allin last hand with the 35.

At the end of the day anything can happen in Heads up. To give you an idea I have twice in the last month made Heads up in the big $3000 daily freeroll at Poker.***. There's about 380 players a day and twice I've made it to the end. The difference between first and second is not that great ($500 to $780) but after 5 hours play you really want to take the win and you get a medal symbol. The 2 occasions I've made it to heads up I've been well ahead in chips. The second occasion I had 260,000 and the opponent had 40,000. First had he's allin - I call with 96 because it's only 40000 and I have a 30% chance of winning (blinds are high at this point). He has 10, 3 so a slight advantage and it stands up. He now has 80 to my 220. Next hand he's all in again. I have AK suited so call it to see he actually had a hand but it's AQ so it's statistically all over. The board actually comes up with an AQ (no King) so against all the odds he doubles again. 160,000 to my 140,000. That changed the play - next hand he bets the min to see the flop. I call with 57. Flop comes 3,5,9. He goes allin, I call it having matched the 5's only to find he's got 9,6. His lead holds and he wins the tourney.

The above has happened to me twice no in heads up at the $3000 freeroll, so I still have no medal! Nice to make $1000 and great to dominate a couple of tournaments (at one point I had 5 times the chips of the second placed player) but anything can, and does happen.

The strategy of allin regularly is not a bad one at heads up. It's all the more likely to work for a tight player like yourself. If your not comfortable with it go allin with any king or any ace. Statistically you should have the advantage with these hands even if it's only K3.

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