Playing the small blind heads-up with a powerful hand

A interesting debate happened the last evening, i was at the heads up stage of the game, chip leader when i got AA in the small blind. I min raised it, and the big blind folded.

One of the better players at the table suggest never to raise with AA or KK from the small blind, and that a flat call was a better play. However I cant stand the though of limping with powerful hands pre-flop heads up or not.

Whats your thoughts on this. Im playing a heads up tourney (live) on friday, so your thoughts would be apperciated on this one.

I think a minimum raise was a good move. Obviously the other player had garbage and would have folded anyway. This "better player" should just shut up. Next time he/she does that to you, say "unless you are paying my blinds, let me play the way I want." :hmpf:

Never say never, but as a rule I would tend to agree with your friend. The logic in raising with AA or KK at a full table is that the power of high pairs is somewhat diminished with more than one caller. Better to isolate a single opponent. Heads up, this part of the game is nonexistent. The high card wins so often in heads-up that a pair, any pair is a strong starting hand. The important thing to remember is to disguise your high pairs. If you've been raising regularly with any decent hand then raise. If you've been regularly raising with your strong hands and your opponent knows this, then a raise would without question be a mistake. I tend to raise frequently from the SB giving the impression of a loose aggressive playing style. This serves several purposes, My opponent will in the long run fold more hands than I will, and even when I am called, an average hand is for the most part not more than a 2:1 underdog to 2 overcards, and in addition, a raise with a legitimate power house will not stand out giving me a better chance of a call.

t1riel said:

I think a minimum raise was a good move. Obviously the other player had garbage and would have folded anyway.

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Wow, it would have to be a garbage hand indeed to make him fold when he could just check.

Questions. How much was the blinds compaired to your stacks? How was your stack vs. your opponent? How long have you been playing heads up?

You can play heads up anyway you want. I think a raise would work and so would a call.

Raising means you represent strength. If you are aggressive and raising alot, your strength can be hidden because you are doing what you normally do. He will have a hard time telling if you have J4 or AA.

Calling means you are just hoping to see the flop. He may catch something but he has to get at least 2 pair to beat you. Then do you have to check it down to the river and hope to get him to bet into you.

I think you did the right thing. By staying aggressive you can trap him later when he thinks you are just stealing blinds. Heads up I try and make it expensive to play, especially if they are not fighting back. I may not get much from my monster hands but you can peck away.

When heads up, i play aggressively and raise a fair bit with any hand i think is a good one, and only throw the really crap hands away. This may have worked for me as if i raised with AA, he might call as i had been raising with most hands. thats jus me but .... unlucky mate, happens.

Problem is if you're raising with just about every other hand on the button heads-up, if you limp with AA/KK the other player is gonna sense something is up - so you end up either winning a small pot or losing a big one.

I usually try to mix it up - I'll limp with a big hand maybe 15% of the time, but I'll limp with crap 15% of the time too.

I think if it's just the two blinds, either limp or make the standard 3x raise. A minraise doesn't really give you any information about a hand, and you could be burying yourself if he hits the flop hard. Some won't lay down garbage to a minraise, so their hand might be disguised. Again, if you do decide to limp here against the BB, be prepared to let it go as the board develops.

I say that limping is only inviteing a call in which place you are giveing them free reign to catch a luckly flop with 2 pairs ( known as a big blind special) or a flush str ect I say never limp at that stage of the game