HU SNGs

I've started playing a few of these and just wondering what people on this forum think of them. On bodog there pretty soft and a pretty aggressive game can get you some wins. Anyone here play a lot of HU sng's? If so do you have any comments or advice?

I used to play them before. Not any more though, as its difficult to multitable HU. What level do you play?
HU SnG's are quite soft on the low levels, but get very compedative when you move up in stakes.
The most important thing in HU SnG's is table selection, and once you found a total fish beeing able to keep that opponent at your table for as long as possible.

I had put a post up the other day about not being able to find good info about HU games. Not sure why. Guess most don't play them.

But hearing from many of the best online players that HU is the best strategy for most to accelerate their game, I am ready to learn.

Just wish I could find some info.

I find bet sizing and patterns are the focus. I have already gotten better at reading them. It's really cool. Well, untl some idiot check calls to the river w/ A2o w/ NPND (no pair no draw) and calls off stack with the 4 on the river.

Ah well!

STUD

for me. its about adjusting to differant opponant types... first off you will usually encounter randoms... what i like to do.. is pretty much raise every single button playing in position is huge in HU. then its about adjusting and exploiting your OP weaknesses.. most of them at low stakes will be super passive.. so just pound them with bets.. others will shove all in all the time in stupid spots. so wait for a good time to strike.

and if you encounter regs which is unlikely at low stakes but possible.. youll need to mix up your game..

I hear there's no money in HU. Everybody's solid.

doops said:

I hear there's no money in HU. Everybody's solid.

Click to expand...

Lol, is this a level?

I have a fair bit of success at HU SnGs at $6 and $10, both 2 and 4 entrants. The key thing is to spend the early rounds finding out who you are up against - what are their patterns? do they always limp or raise from the button? can they be pushed off a middling hand? how do they respond to a PF reraise? It might cost a few chips to get the information, but with starting stacks at 75BB it is worth it. Most players are fairly easy to figure out - next you need to make a plan. For example, against a weaker player I'll avoid all ins without the near nuts; I'll get a feel for min bet size to get a fold if they miss the flop and so on.

As well as figuring out the villains patterns and habits you need to not give off too many of your own. Mix up your play or if there are patterns to your play be aware that villain will have noticed them. For example, if you get good cards three times in a row and the villain folds to your bets they will more often than not reckon you are just stealing - they will have a plan against that, so make sure you can counter it.

My last piece of advice/experience is that it isn't over until the end. I have lost a game from a 2960/40 chip advantage and won them from 2900/100 down. It can be hard to finish off a player - often they shove every hand and you don't want to let them back in with a loose call. After outplaying them to get the stacks to 2500/500 you don't want to throw it away calling K8 to an A8 all in. That said, you want to keep the initiative and put the pressure on your villain and make good decisions yourself until you win the final chip.

I have been playing a lot of these as well, and i have been doing alright. I definitely agree with the last post about it not being over til its over. Coming back from a huge disadvantage is pretty satisfying too.

One thing i like to do if i do get shortstacked is to push my next hand, especially against tighter opponets (if i think my opponent will fold without strong cards). Doing this will make many opponents open up their calling range overall, so when you do have a legitimate hand, they make the call, and you are right back in it. Any one else do this/think it works? I have been doing it but im not sure if its really a great idea.

One of the hardest things to do imo is to take my opponent out once i get him on the ropes. Especially in the later levels where the blinds are higher I often find myself with a big chip lead but it can be a bitch trying to close them out.

rssurfer54 said:

One thing i like to do if i do get shortstacked is to push my next hand, especially against tighter opponets (if i think my opponent will fold without strong cards). Doing this will make many opponents open up their calling range overall, so when you do have a legitimate hand, they make the call, and you are right back in it. Any one else do this/think it works? I have been doing it but im not sure if its really a great idea.

Click to expand...

The fact that you have a plan and are thinking about what the opponent thinks you might be thinking is all good stuff. By setting a long trap - ie you are not interested in this hand so much as the next - you can claw yourself back from your lowly position.

That said, there are dangers to getting very aggressive when you have just taken a beating. I see a lot of players going stupid with air if they have just lost a big pot, especially to a bad beat or a failed bluff. Consequently, if I reckon they are tilting and they open shove I think about calling with a wider range than usual. So use this tactic selectively, ie against an opponent who won't call.

On the subject of long traps, one of my favourites is to raise all in from the BB to a limp or minraise with a strongish hand. Assuming you get the fold, do it again if you get a decent hand the next BB, and the next. The villain will figure that you have sussed how to steal from them, but you aren't that interested in those steals (nice though they are) but you want them to call the fourth time with their KTo when you show AKs. You obviously need the cards to get this to work, but when it does it is sweet - if you don't get the cards on the 3rd or 4th BB then at least you have stolen some chips and upset their limping/minraise game.

The_Pup said:

The fact that you have a plan and are thinking about what the opponent thinks you might be thinking is all good stuff. By setting a long trap - ie you are not interested in this hand so much as the next - you can claw yourself back from your lowly position.

That said, there are dangers to getting very aggressive when you have just taken a beating. I see a lot of players going stupid with air if they have just lost a big pot, especially to a bad beat or a failed bluff. Consequently, if I reckon they are tilting and they open shove I think about calling with a wider range than usual. So use this tactic selectively, ie against an opponent who won't call.

On the subject of long traps, one of my favourites is to raise all in from the BB to a limp or minraise with a strongish hand. Assuming you get the fold, do it again if you get a decent hand the next BB, and the next. The villain will figure that you have sussed how to steal from them, but you aren't that interested in those steals (nice though they are) but you want them to call the fourth time with their KTo when you show AKs. You obviously need the cards to get this to work, but when it does it is sweet - if you don't get the cards on the 3rd or 4th BB then at least you have stolen some chips and upset their limping/minraise game.

Click to expand...

I like that second idea too. I definitely wouldn't do my original tactic with a loose aggressive maniac, but im playing mostly lower limits. and to be honest almost everyone i play against is either loose or tight passive (i play laggy heads up), so i think it works against both, just with a slight adjustment. If they are loose, I probably wouldn't do it as often, but when my range has their range beat. If they are tight passive, then it gets them to open up (and become loose passive), making my all ins better later.

When around many idiots - its very inconvenient situation. On the one hand you have advantage and when you will catch top hand, can beat them, on the other hand will lose very often to their weak hands on river... In this situation it is necessary to play very cautiously. To me it is much easier play with strong opponents

I play on Full Tilt and I find the turbos interesting. I swear I can see patterns in the 'random software'..(e.g. AKo from the SB is NEVER good against the BB)

So, because I often 'see' these patterns, I find I play 'the software' more than I play the player. It's really stupid. I do incorporate it with proper play though.

Separate thought, it is VERY difficult finishing off an opponent. I actually have found luck shoving with the very top and bottom of my range. Shoving with the middle always brings me bad luck. But that's just me.

STUD

It's painful to play against passive calling station who is always calling flop or turn bets with either the nuts or gutshot draw ?!!?

You never know if river all in is winning you the pot or he will show you the nuts. 1/2 - 3/4 pot bet is always called even with bottom pair.

I find it extremely difficult to play against such opponents if the cards don't cooperate. I just played a game and didn't hit even top pair for 40+ hands.

I tried to bully him, but he never did anything else but call with his bottom pairs or gutshots which completed by river...

Love heads up. Great for people who can't fold a hand like me. Low level sng's are the best, but I can see why people think it's a dead game, the ROI is really low (but then again you're playing against only one donkey) and you need to stay focused all the time.
After a while though beating those games becomes second nature, it's allways the same calling station or nit at the table and something that you've done a hundred times before is that much easier the next one.

Basically it's a real grind, but an easy one.

Prob is a lot harder at bigger stakes, but there is also a good game to find at the lower stakes...and whit volume comes money..so i heard

if you get the button upon start of the tournament you will have beetter cards then the other guy

HU on FTP tends to be pretty soft at the lower stakes - Omaha $2/$5 HU tends to attract the fish who will literally push with anything. I've run into people who I don't think even know the rules...

playerk7 said:

if you get the button upon start of the tournament you will have beetter cards then the other guy

Click to expand...

Clarify please.

playerk7 said:

if you get the button upon start of the tournament you will have better cards then the other guy

Click to expand...

Not always. You always want to raise on the button no matter what your hand strength is. Always keep it the same size raise so that they don't know if you have 27 or AA. You have to be willing to play almost all your hands.

i have tried them, i have heard and experienced the person who gets dealt the button first will most likely get the better hands, but heads up is all about skill and mometum

Rubbish - hands are random.

Pokerstudent said:

I play on Full Tilt and I find the turbos interesting. I swear I can see patterns in the 'random software'..(e.g. AKo from the SB is NEVER good against the BB)

So, because I often 'see' these patterns, I find I play 'the software' more than I play the player. It's really stupid. I do incorporate it with proper play though.
STUD

Click to expand...

is this ^ a level??

This thread is turning into a 'riggaments' post.... pleazzz .. can we get it back on track??? how about HU sng play?

Sorry for the side tangent guys...

Regardless, you need to determine the villian's style and play against it.

If you do not read your opponent based on value bets and bluffs, you will never get in their head. It's soon over after that.