Poker Strategy

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WhitePanda

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You have to be very aggressive.

If I am first to act, pre-flop, then I will usually raise or fold. Sometimes I will call to try and see a flop, but I don't do that a lot because the other person might raise and I will have to throw my hand away unless it's a decent pair.

If I am last to act, I'll raise most of time. Send the message that they can't just limp in and they will end up throwing away a lot of blinds.
 
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swingro

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Actually the HU game is much more complex than this.
And also it depends if it is a tourney or cash gane. Yes the first thing to say it is you have to be agressive. But this is the same thing you say about playing poker all the time. Other than playing your hands in a HU game you are playing your opponent hands. You bet that he do not have it. Because if you w8 for hands you will go down quick. You kinda have to estimate the limits of your opponents agressivity. If he is a maniac (or play like one) , if he is a very tight player, if he is a calling station are things that you will have to process better than ever.
 
Newschool

Newschool

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I play professionally at FR and 6max. Honestly, beating HU games isn't easy, and no out of the box strategy will prepare you for it. There are alot more variables that both players are paying attention to, and hand ranges are very wide. Basically its a nightmare for an inexperienced player. Id suggest baby steps, maybe sharpen your teeth at FR or 6max games!
 
okeedokalee

okeedokalee

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A timid player you can keep raising from the SB, but more aggressive players are much harder to outplay.If you search the net there is some very good free strategy info about and some great free videos.
 
naruto_miu

naruto_miu

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Depends on the player, blinds, how long you been playing against them with/If you have a tell on there playing styles...

1 best way to play may not work so well when against another player
 
Poker Orifice

Poker Orifice

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I play professionally at FR and 6max. Honestly, beating HU games isn't easy, and no out of the box strategy will prepare you for it. There are alot more variables that both players are paying attention to, and hand ranges are very wide. Basically its a nightmare for an inexperienced player. Id suggest baby steps, maybe sharpen your teeth at FR or 6max games!
This ^
 
Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

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I play professionally at FR and 6max. Honestly, beating HU games isn't easy, and no out of the box strategy will prepare you for it. There are alot more variables that both players are paying attention to, and hand ranges are very wide. Basically its a nightmare for an inexperienced player. Id suggest baby steps, maybe sharpen your teeth at FR or 6max games!
I second this one as well... On my first HU, my opponent ran over me like a mack truck. An experience that I've never since forgot. The aggression factor he was using (which I find now to be quite normal for HU actually...) had me crippled as I was used to waiting for premium (or close) hands. You cannot do this in HU...

If you want some sort of a starting basis... Do not quote me on this as I am taking a stab at as to how I've adjusted.

I keep in mind that you have to open your hand range much wider as there are only 2 players obv. Realize that, I think J7 is about the middle cut-off literally between the hands above this that you might play as opposed to under this which I would throw away. Do not waste time trying to build hands from speculative holdings (like low suited/connectors... unless your opponent is playing passive... which prob won't happen... but if so, you should be playing w/ extreme aggr either way...) Hands that I would defend with are pretty much pocket pairs, Ax's & connected/suited broadways depending on position (hopefully you'll try to go no lower than a suited or connected king if possible...) Anything else I pretty much throw in tha garbage... As you get more experienced and get more reads on your opponent you'll probably expand your range more.

As mentioned above by members, there are many variables & player dynamics/tendencies (M-levels, etc...) to consider... Anyone please correct my thinking if off... Just giving Dameyon' some starting tidbits to go by...
 
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A

andrewsz1991

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I like to raise a lot of hands. Cal reraises with an A and see a lot of flops. It's mostly post flop play for me.
 
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