head to head tourneys?

is it just me or do these tourneys stink,i hated it.it was like playin war with my kids or sumtin.i must be missing sumtin.

ehhhh heads up is simply a different animal than a full table, mainly because everybody is taught how to play a full table and not a headsup. Just different is all. Matter of opinion if it is harder or easier.

personally i find them very appealing. i love playing heads up, and no matter how many people are in them, at least at pokerstars, if you win three matches, you're in the money. if you're a bad heads up player, then yeah, they can pretty much be crap shoots, but if it's a part of your game that you value, then to me they're very satisfying. personally i enjoy little more (when it comes to playing cards at least) then schooling someone head up. i wish more sites had these tournaments available

-n

Ok this is a very approitate post, just played 3 heads up games on stars, won the last 3, on the 4th, stand by for hand histories, the players are brutal !!! Easy money

EDIT Forgive the long post, 4 in a row, great practice one of the games took nine hands, the hand history is at the bottom.......... Enjoy, first night on heads up only, and its a giveaway as far as i can see..

PokerStars Tournamt #12935647, No Limit Hold'emBuy-In: $5.00/$0.252 playersTotal Prize Pool: $10.00 Tournament started - 2005/09/23 - 20:16:47 (ET) Dear tenbob, You finished the tournament in 1st place.A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account. Congratulations!Thank you for participating.

PokerStars Tournament #12934240, No Limit Hold'emBuy-In: $5.00/$0.252 playersTotal Prize Pool: $10.00 Tournament started - 2005/09/23 - 19:42:00 (ET) Dear tenbob, You finished the tournament in 1st place.A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account. Congratulations!Thank you for participating.

PokerStars Tournament #12933762, No Limit Hold'emBuy-In: $5.00/$0.252 playersTotal Prize Pool: $10.00 Tournament started - 2005/09/23 - 19:29:48 (ET) Dear tenbob, You finished the tournament in 1st place.A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account. Congratulations!Thank you for participating.

PokerStars Tournament #12933533, No Limit Hold'emBuy-In: $5.00/$0.252 playersTotal Prize Pool: $10.00 Tournament started - 2005/09/23 - 19:24:07 (ET) Dear tenbob, You finished the tournament in 1st place.A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account. Congratulations!Thank you for participating.

PokerStars Game #2644484202: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:26:57 (ET)Table '12933533 1' One on One Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1:

tenbob (2960 in chips)

Seat 2: aysee15 (40 in chips)
tenbob: posts small blind 10
aysee15: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to tenbob [Qd 4d]
tenbob: raises 20 to 40
aysee15: calls 20 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Qc 5c 3s]
*** TURN *** [Qc 5c 3s] 8♦
*** RIVER *** [Qc 5c 3s 8d] 8♣***
SHOW DOWN ***aysee15: shows [Jd 2h] (a pair of Eights)
tenbob: shows [Qd 4d] (two pair, Queens and Eights)
aysee15 is sitting out tenbob collected 80 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 80 | Rake 0 Board [Qc 5c 3s 8d 8c]Seat 1: tenbob (button) (small blind) showed [Qd 4d] and won (80) with two pair, Queens and EightsSeat 2: aysee15 (big blind) showed [Jd 2h] and lost with a pair of Eights

*********** # 2 **************PokerStars Game #2644479322: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:26:18 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #2 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1480 in chips) Seat 2: aysee15 (1520 in chips)
aysee15: posts small blind 10t
enbob: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [Kd Ks]
aysee15: raises 1500 to 1520 and is all-in

tenbob: calls 1460 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [As Jh 3d]
*** TURN *** [As Jh 3d] K♣***
RIVER *** [As Jh 3d Kc] K♥***
SHOW DOWN ***tenbob: shows [Kd Ks] (four of a kind, Kings)
aysee15: shows [Ah 5s] (two pair, Aces and Kings)
tenbob collected 2960 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 2960 | Rake 0 Board [As Jh 3d Kc Kh]Seat 1: tenbob (big blind) showed [Kd Ks] and won (2960) with four of a kind, KingsSeat 2: aysee15 (button) (small blind) showed [Ah 5s] and lost with two pair, Aces and Kings

*********** # 3 **************PokerStars Game #2644476976: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:25:59 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1:
tenbob (1460 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1540 in chips)
tenbob: posts small blind 10
aysee15: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [Tc 6c]
tenbob: calls 10
aysee15: checks
*** FLOP *** [Kh 3c Ks]
aysee15: checks
tenbob: bets 40
aysee15: folds tenbob
collected 40 from pot
tenbob: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 40 | Rake 0 Board [Kh 3c Ks]Seat 1: tenbob (button) (small blind) collected (40)Seat 2: aysee15 (big blind) folded on the Flop

*********** # 4 **************PokerStars Game #2644474787: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:25:42 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #2 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1440 in chips) Seat 2: aysee15 (1560 in chips)
aysee15: posts small blind 10
tenbob: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [9s 6h]
aysee15: calls 10
tenbob: checks
*** FLOP *** [8d 6d Ah]
tenbob: bets 40
aysee15: folds
tenbob collected 40 from pott
enbob: doesn't show hand *** SUMMARY ***Total pot 40 | Rake 0 Board [8d 6d Ah]Seat 1: tenbob (big blind) collected (40)Seat 2: aysee15 (button) (small blind) folded on the Flop

*********** # 5 **************PokerStars Game #2644473671: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:25:32 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1450 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1550 in chips)
tenbob: posts small blind 10
aysee15: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [3h 9c]
tenbob: folds
aysee15 collected 20 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 20 | Rake 0 Seat 1: tenbob (button) (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 2: aysee15 (big blind) collected (20)

*********** # 6 **************PokerStars Game #2644470128: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:25:04 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #2 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1510 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1490 in chips)
aysee15: posts small blind 10
tenbob: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [3s 9c]
aysee15: calls 10
tenbob: checks
*** FLOP *** [2h Ah Qs]
tenbob: bets 40
aysee15: calls 40
*** TURN *** [2h Ah Qs] [Th]
tenbob: checks
aysee15: bets 60
tenbob: folds aysee15
collected 120 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 120 | Rake 0 Board [2h Ah Qs Th]Seat 1: tenbob (big blind) folded on the TurnSeat 2: aysee15 (button) (small blind) collected (120)

*********** # 7 **************PokerStars Game #2644467309: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:24:42 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1530 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1470 in chips)
tenbob: posts small blind 10
aysee15: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [Qd 7s]
tenbob: calls 10
aysee15: checks
*** FLOP *** [Kd 2s 9c]
aysee15: bets 40
tenbob: folds
aysee15 collected 40 from pot
aysee15: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 40 | Rake 0 Board [Kd 2s 9c]Seat 1: tenbob (button) (small blind) folded on the FlopSeat 2: aysee15 (big blind) collected (40)

*********** # 8 **************PokerStars Game #2644465551: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:24:29 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #2 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1520 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1480 in chips)
aysee15: posts small blind 10
tenbob: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [Ts Jd]
aysee15: folds tenbob collected 20 from pottenbob:
doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 20 | Rake 0 Seat 1: tenbob (big blind) collected (20)Seat 2: aysee15 (button) (small blind) folded before Flop

*********** # 9 **************PokerStars Game #2644462901: Tournament #12933533, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/09/23 - 19:24:07 (ET)Table '12933533 1'
One on One Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1: tenbob (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: aysee15 (1500 in chips)

tenbob: posts small blind 10aysee15: posts big blind 20

*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to tenbob [2s Kc]
tenbob: raises 20 to 40
aysee15: folds
tenbob collected 40 from pottenbob:
doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 40 | Rake 0 Seat 1: tenbob (button) (small blind) collected (40)Seat 2: aysee15 (big blind) folded before Flopen

Sorry guys dont know why that hand history is such a garble, tried my best with it but all my editing on this site for some reason lately dosnt work,sorry for the headaches

wow now theres some energy eh...i guess heads up deserves a lil more credit then i beleived.im gonna play the 1 at pokerhost today.i think i just like the big tables for some odd reason.if i beat someone at head to head it should be for the money . and grats to u tenbob,,,cya at the tables

I think that "heads up" tourneys etc. are harder to play than a table full. You've got a 50/50 chance but to me intimidating. Hat's off to you, that you done so good. Think it takes a certain type to play that type for very long.

so were you guys talking about individual tournaments, winner take all? pokerstars has multiround elimination heads up tournies with pretty substantial prises. that's what i tought you were talking about, though i like the single match ones too.

-n

Two points to make:

1. You have to win 55% of the time to break even due to registration fee.

2. Players call you down with weak holdings, so you have to hope to hit some flops and bluff very sparingly.

I play heads up games very ABC. Its rare to play the cards, you need to be the person controlling the game, if your not you are going to have to take a coin flip for it. Every limp will get a raise, every check will get a bet, and if someone plays back at be tread very carefully and be fully prepared to get out of the hand.

It is very intimidating to play against someone that plays like that, eventually youll hit a monster, but you need to play it the exact same, and hope that your opposition decides now is the time to make his stand, at this stage he.she should be shortstacked.

Some players will not be dominated so easily, your raises will be re-reaised, and you will get check raised all the time. These are the games that are more difficult and you have to consider taking a coin flip, or folding out all but premium hands. Because nothing is cheap in these games.

Yeah, the rake kills in HU tourneys. At low buyins if you're a reasonably decent player you should have enough of an edge to beat it though (I suck heads-up, but the fact that I actually think about hands would alone probably give me a 55% edge against a lot of $5 or $10 players).

The variance is large too, obviously. The difference between winning 6 HU tourneys in a row and losing 6 could just be 6 hands where good/bad cards fell.

I do okay with heads up. the gameplay is much faster and the action is always there. I won $3.50 in a heads up freeroll last week.

Strong play is a must obviously at a full table, but IMO trapping is a necessity against the aggressive players that preside in HU games. Picking your moments to divert from this rope-a-dope strategy is the key. Holdings like middle pair have to be defended with suitable bets (about 1/2 the pot) on the flop and the turn. Be prepared to check on the river.