[123Law]

Ok, I find myself getting a touch better with every tourny I play. But unfortunately, I have found myself placing second more times then not. I have won a couple, but have placed second way too many times.

Someone share a solid heads up strategy that I can use... I find myself playing very conservative when it gets to that point, and always get my arse handed to me. Suggestions?

[Acorn89]

When I am playing heads up a go into a very aggresive mode. Ill go after any pot if I think theres a chance that my opponet will back down. One thing I will do is raise 95% of the time when I am on the button with any to cards. And you never want to flop when you are on the button because you will almost always have the right odds to call. Otherwise heads up is all about reading your opponet and a some luck.

[newpokerplayer]

by the time they catch on..hopefully its over..lol good luck

[TriptreysNJ]

Aggressive is definately the right way to go about this. BUT, I am not afraid to fold crappy hands on the button. I'll raise about 70% of the time. I divide the rest in half between calling and folding. I feel that way, you are accounting for the couple times the villian actually has a hand. If your raising 95% of the time, most of them are with mediocre/bad starting hands. So what would you do if you are re-raised? Fold obviously, and you then give your oppenent a reason to keep re-raising you, b/c they'll have less respect for your raises. You do not want that. Headup usually doesnt last very long, so keeping that edge is crucial.

[Acorn89]

Originally Posted by TriptreysNJ

Aggressive is definately the right way to go about this. BUT, I am not afraid to fold crappy hands on the button. I'll raise about 70% of the time. I divide the rest in half between calling and folding. I feel that way, you are accounting for the couple times the villian actually has a hand. If your raising 95% of the time, most of them are with mediocre/bad starting hands. So what would you do if you are re-raised? Fold obviously, and you then give your oppenent a reason to keep re-raising you, b/c they'll have less respect for your raises. You do not want that. Headup usually doesnt last very long, so keeping that edge is crucial.

I kind of disagree, in headup you just want to keep winning small pots to pad your stack so when the big hand comes you can that you want to get all of your money in with and you raise it up like normal your opponet will have no idea what you have. So I wouldnt mind for people to have no respect for my raises preflop. And if they do start reraising me I probaly wont fold because there will be enough money in the pot for me to take a flop with almost any hand.

Also I still think its never right to fold when you are on the button because you just gave away a small blind, and you will almost always have the right odds to call. Lot of players will fold to you when they are on the button so why do you want to give back those chips to them.

[123Law]

I recently read where some guy said (when headsup), "If I get a face card, I play aggressive. If I get 2 face cards, I play super aggressive. If I dont get a face card, I dont play unless both cards are the same."

Good strategy or bad?

[Lytspeed]

Originally Posted by 123Law

I recently read where some guy said (when headsup), "If I get a face card, I play aggressive. If I get 2 face cards, I play super aggressive. If I dont get a face card, I dont play unless both cards are the same."

Good strategy or bad?

That's pretty similar to the way I do it, though I don't get very excited about a lone jack or queen. It's worked pretty well for me. I've fought my way back from a pretty serious chip deficit to win tournaments that way, both real money and play money.

The last time I did that was in a live tourney. I was seriously short stacked and playing heads up, so when I got a pair of deuces, I went all-in. I didn't have much choice, and figured the blinds would eat me up before I got another pocket pair. The chip leader flopped a pair and beat me, but I still got second in the tourney. I didn't spend much time beating myself up over whether I should have gone all-in with ducks.

[TriptreysNJ]

Originally Posted by Acorn89

I kind of disagree, in headup you just want to keep winning small pots to pad your stack so when the big hand comes you can that you want to get all of your money in with and you raise it up like normal your opponet will have no idea what you have. So I wouldnt mind for people to have no respect for my raises preflop. And if they do start reraising me I probaly wont fold because there will be enough money in the pot for me to take a flop with almost any hand.

Also I still think its never right to fold when you are on the button because you just gave away a small blind, and you will almost always have the right odds to call. Lot of players will fold to you when they are on the button so why do you want to give back those chips to them.

I see your point, and understand where you are coming from. But honestly, I change the rules in HU. I no longer play by the book, and I don't worry too much about pre-flop odds to call. Most money is exchanged after the flop, so I don't want cards that I can't work with after the flop. Bluffing gets dangerous during this time, b/c you either have something, or you don't. I HAVE to give the villian some respect. I don't know, its just the way I play. It's worked sometimes, and sometimes it hasn't.

[revenoff]

Originally Posted by Acorn89

I kind of disagree, in headup you just want to keep winning small pots to pad your stack so when the big hand comes you can that you want to get all of your money in with and you raise it up like normal your opponet will have no idea what you have. So I wouldnt mind for people to have no respect for my raises preflop. And if they do start reraising me I probaly wont fold because there will be enough money in the pot for me to take a flop with almost any hand.

Also I still think its never right to fold when you are on the button because you just gave away a small blind, and you will almost always have the right odds to call. Lot of players will fold to you when they are on the button so why do you want to give back those chips to them.

I highly disagree with this, I'm not expert at heads up but I eat up loose aggresive people when we get one on one.

[Acorn89]

Originally Posted by revenoff

I highly disagree with this, I'm not expert at heads up but I eat up loose aggresive people when we get one on one.

How?