Advice for heads up against a loose aggressive opponent

Brian182 · Jan 2, 2009

This if for heads up sngs, not a 6 table or 10 table and then we're heads up, but heads up from the get go. Okay, I know the obvious answer to playing against a loose aggressive opponent is to play tight and trap the person. However, online, I find quite a few games where the person is going to raise preflop each time, to at least a 3 bet, then the person will always raise after the flop, and I'll fold because I didn't hit. The bet is always past my odds of drawing anything. However, if I get something good, that person will always fold knowing I actually have a hand. What I try to do is to only check good hands and hope that person raises, then I'll reraise. However, the opponent will fold, and I'll never be able to get enough chips from that person this way since it's not that often I'll get a good hand to reraise with, and because I usually fold past and future hands preflop, the chips I win get absorbed back into the opponent's blind stealing. I can't play tight enough for too long because in heads up, the blinds add up quickly. Is the only strategy to a person who will raise aggressively with almost any two cards to just pretend the blinds are high (like late game), and be prepared to go all in with cards like A10? I really want to improve my heads up game. So far, if I want to be optimistic, I can say I can win about 60% of the games, however, with the buy-in fees and variance, this isn't worth it. Any tips would be much appreciated!

WurlyQ · Jan 2, 2009

I never play solely heads up SnG's but I have experienced a few things from getting to heads up from tournaments.

I think more than anywhere, you have to be willing to mix up your play. You are both focused on each other giving you both the ability to recognize patterns if they exist. If they raise post flop almost every time, you have to be willing to throw in some re raises with Ax or Kx even if you miss and hope they fold. This is where position is important. If you have position and they decide to call, they have to act first next street giving you a big advantage. However, if they call and you're out of position, this makes you very weak because you could lose a big chip stack by betting at it again on the turn.

After all, the chances that someone without pockets hits the board is like 35% (or something like that) so if they are raising more than 40% or so of the time, they are often throwing in bets with nothing. If they will reraise big against something like this every time, then your only option is probably to wait for a trap. However, because you say they fold, I would assume you would be able to take some of these pots down.

riverboatrat · Jan 2, 2009

Brian182 said:
Okay, I know the obvious answer to playing against a loose aggressive opponent is to play tight and trap the person.

I honestly believe that against a loose aggresive player you need to be fighting fire with fire and shift gears hard and put the descisions on them all the time but be careful or YOU could get trapped.

You should always be shifting gears, slow playing a few monsters then raising hard with some hands then raise hard with a monster.

Mixing it up by firing back at a loose aggresive player is a tactic that works well

bob_tiger · Jan 2, 2009

Brian182 said:
This if for heads up sngs, not a 6 table or 10 table and then we're heads up, but heads up from the get go. Okay, I know the obvious answer to playing against a loose aggressive opponent is to play tight and trap the person. However, online, I find quite a few games where the person is going to raise preflop each time, to at least a 3 bet, then the person will always raise after the flop, and I'll fold because I didn't hit. The bet is always past my odds of drawing anything. However, if I get something good, that person will always fold knowing I actually have a hand. What I try to do is to only check good hands and hope that person raises, then I'll reraise. However, the opponent will fold, and I'll never be able to get enough chips from that person this way since it's not that often I'll get a good hand to reraise with, and because I usually fold past and future hands preflop, the chips I win get absorbed back into the opponent's blind stealing. I can't play tight enough for too long because in heads up, the blinds add up quickly. Is the only strategy to a person who will raise aggressively with almost any two cards to just pretend the blinds are high (like late game), and be prepared to go all in with cards like A10? I really want to improve my heads up game. So far, if I want to be optimistic, I can say I can win about 60% of the games, however, with the buy-in fees and variance, this isn't worth it. Any tips would be much appreciated!

I underlined main parts and just from reading that I get that you are playing "too obvious". You need to step it up a little and play back at your opponent, don't make yourself predictable, of course if you fold, fold, fold, and then all of sudden raise its going to be obvious you have a hand.
So my suggestion is quit being so obvious, raise more and the % of someone hitting a flop in heads up is very low, (ask the math wizzes if you want exact number) so that's why position is very important heads up.

bob_tiger · Jan 2, 2009

riverboatrat said:
I honestly believe that against a loose aggresive player you need to be fighting fire with fire and shift gears hard and put the descisions on them all the time but be careful or YOU could get trapped.

You should always be shifting gears, slow playing a few monsters then raising hard with some hands then raise hard with a monster.

Mixing it up by firing back at a loose aggresive player is a tactic that works well

Good answer, I would say go by my and riverboat's suggestion and if you have any other specific questions, don't be afraid to ask.

zachvac · Jan 2, 2009

Another strategy is mixing it up and flatting AA/KK from the blinds for example. But in general bob_tiger's right. Play back, 3-bet them a bit (although if you go overboard there they'll start 4-betting you light), and just play super-aggro from your button. Position is so important in HU play because ranges are so wide. I don't play HU sngs at all but the HU cash I play I'll literally start raising 100% of buttons until my opponent convinces me not to. Reason being usually they adjust badly to it and start calling too much, allowing me to basically own them postflop in position in biggish pots.

WurlyQ · Jan 2, 2009

bob_tiger said:
Good answer, I would say go by my and riverboat's suggestion and if you have any other specific questions, don't be afraid to ask.

Fine, just ignore what I said despite the fact that you guys pretty much said the same thing I did. Haha, just kidding.

bob_tiger · Jan 2, 2009

WurlyQ said:
Fine, just ignore what I said despite the fact that you guys pretty much said the same thing I did. Haha, just kidding.

Oops sorry about that, I don't know how I missed your post.

bob_tiger · Jan 2, 2009

elcoyote said:
that is just not funny man what are you trying to say..

usually before I post, I read what advice people that posted ahead of me gave and then I try to add more and somehow I missed that post, wasn't trying to be a jackass or anything.

Brian182 · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks guys

Ya, I guess I just play scared. The problem is that even from position, I'll get reraised, playing it strong when I hit (with a strong hand heads up, but usually not the nuts), then the guy shoves all-in. All I do is think about "what if, what if this guy has pockets, what if this guy has a higher kicker, etc.." I guess I just need to go with the odds, and accept the fact that the heads up is going to be very quick and loose. I guess I can't win if I don't take the risk to play my hands, even if it's only mid pair, which I guess is pretty good heads up against a loose aggressive.

riverboatrat · Jan 2, 2009

Brian, you cant be afraid to lose HU or people WILL walk all over you, you need to be almost fearless.

I say almost because plain fearless is sometimes stupid but then again as Doyle says, fortune favours the backbone, not the wishbone.

HU is fast and agressive most of the time.

I suggest you go to full tilt and catch a few of their HU freerolls.

They have these cool freerolls every few minutes that start with 256 people and you pair off and play HU till there is one person left, and you get an entry into another tourney.

It's perfect practice for HU and I do them frequently to keep my HU game sharp.

baudib1 · Jan 3, 2009

I think you tighten up...you can fold your bottom 10% from the button but otherwise raise most of your hands IP...alternatively you could also polarize your raising range and raise your worst hands and top 15% hands (but limp AA/KK).

Also I think you just have to be willing to make occasional marginal calldowns and three-bet your premium draws. Also slowplay your stronger hands; when they see you c-c a pair of aces it usually blunts their aggression.

Brian182 · Jan 3, 2009

Great advice guys. I'll practice it in low stakes HU if I can get my rakeback soon and build up my roll. I tilted my whole roll on Cake again... I really need to learn how to sleep instead of staying up playing. I took freeroll winnings and turned 3 bucks into 140, then donked it after tilting. My temper is really bad.

diamondace · Jan 4, 2009

you cant play against a loose player tight forever cause the blinds get higher and higher.
if someone plays hyperagressive give him what he wants then its up to luck. the biggest mistake against these kind of players is to play scared cause then you lose for sure. you can try to make traps for the opponent if he is active part and you just have to call. you never shouldnt allow your opponent to raise every hand and then getting away with that kind of play cause the strategy of loose players is to beat you the slow and sure way. but you dont have to play like they want you to.

so you meet these kind of players at the table and you have to deal with them. you shouldnt forget that in heads up high cards like ace or king are much more worth than anywhere else cause its just you and your opponent so with low blinds you can play tight and wait for the right hands but when the blinds get higher you must be ready to go allin without looking back whatever.

Bengals_Boy · Mar 16, 2009

These loose aggresive players n heads up are my favorite to face.I like to let him try to bully me untill i get some good cards the i like to try to get him to trap himself.But sommetimes those cards dont come and u have to act on different kinds of hands.I will open my play up a whole lot more in heads up inn this case.

spacemiu · Mar 16, 2009

You have to play back at him every chance u get. It's not like 6 handed or 9 handed tables where you can just play premium hands and fold fold fold.

so to answer your question: yes, you have to push him hard with a10 if he is crossing a line, that s a very good hand hu.

You don't have to be as loose as he is but pls dont just try to trap(those aces or kings or whatever you'r looking for may never come esp in sng's) It's ok to bluff him, and you can apply this by learning good spots to bluff like a draw where u have outs, or dry boards where if he doesnt have top pair he has nothing kinda boards.

rssurfer54 · Mar 16, 2010

Personally, I play similarly to the person you were up against, and I can say that you sound like my favorite kind of opponent. I can also say those who said that you should play back at him are absolutely right. When I play against someone who wont play back at me, its just a matter of waiting til i can steal more blinds. If they do, it makes me change it up and start slowplaying, limping, etc more.

A perfect example, I was playing a home game tourney last night, got to heads up, and people suggested we cap the blinds (why? i dont know, but i was all for that, as we were both pretty deepstacked still). The kid i played with would limp every button, I would check, then fold the flop if i missed. From my button, I literally raised 95%. Occasionally, he would 3bet, but instead of folding when he didnt, he would call. After a call, he would check, then give up to my cbet. As you can see, I was slowly chipping away at him (winning the raised pots from my button rather than unraised from his). He was looking to trap me, but instead, he needs to raise his own button, and stop calling oop. dont try to trap these players, unless they are really awful lags.

tomh7795 · Mar 17, 2010

don't bluff the idiot

Brian182 said:
This if for heads up sngs, not a 6 table or 10 table and then we're heads up, but heads up from the get go. Okay, I know the obvious answer to playing against a loose aggressive opponent is to play tight and trap the person. However, online, I find quite a few games where the person is going to raise preflop each time, to at least a 3 bet, then the person will always raise after the flop, and I'll fold because I didn't hit. The bet is always past my odds of drawing anything. However, if I get something good, that person will always fold knowing I actually have a hand. What I try to do is to only check good hands and hope that person raises, then I'll reraise. However, the opponent will fold, and I'll never be able to get enough chips from that person this way since it's not that often I'll get a good hand to reraise with, and because I usually fold past and future hands preflop, the chips I win get absorbed back into the opponent's blind stealing. I can't play tight enough for too long because in heads up, the blinds add up quickly. Is the only strategy to a person who will raise aggressively with almost any two cards to just pretend the blinds are high (like late game), and be prepared to go all in with cards like A10? I really want to improve my heads up game. So far, if I want to be optimistic, I can say I can win about 60% of the games, however, with the buy-in fees and variance, this isn't worth it. Any tips would be much appreciated!

i sometimes get the same problem, i'm play heads up sng quite often and have done quite well. Against loose aggressive players you need to not check raise and just check call so they barrel a second or third bet. If it's a draw heavy board then check call then maybe bet the turn which annoys the other player more then a check raise i've noticed. If your opponent just bluffs a lot of his chips away he seems to go on tilt quite easily after that. If you play on full tilt there's heads up sng with a deep stack so you have more time to wait and let your opponents tilt themselves by bluffing to much. If you don't get many hands then try re-raise your opponent all in pre-flop with decent aces, any pocket pairs and some kq, kj hands. Only if the blinds are getting bigger. oh and if your opponent knows how to fold then you can re-raise his bets but make sure you know your opponent can fold. Remember don't bluff any idiot

Advice for heads up against a loose aggressive opponent

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