SNG Heads Up Advice

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dwig7

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I have found that my best game type is sng heads up. I am a relatively new player. I lost my first deposit of $100 in too high of stakes. After that I learned more about bankroll management. I really like to play the 4 person heads up games. I started out at first on the $2 HH games and I am now mainly playing $5 games. Usually when I win one I go on a really long winning streak for that session. I have disciplined myself to quit after I have lost 2 in one sitting. Yesterday I moved up to the $10 HH games and was able to beat a platinum star and a gold star. However, I really would like to refine my play further. Does anyone have any advice or books/sites that cover this game type specifically. I have found a few posts that have been helpful, but I am looking for more info.
 
Mase31683

Mase31683

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First of all, I'd suggest to not do the 4 player ones. You don't make more money for the win or anything. You only save one entry fee which at $5 is $0.25. Just increases variance with no real need.

Card Runners has a lot of stuff on HU play. They're the only place I've ever really gone for HU strategy.
 
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Swampy Sam

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After struggling with cash games and full ring SNGs, I found that playing the heads up games is the only way I can consistently make money. I now have an ROI of about 9% over 100 games (not much I know but I've only been playing online for 2 months), but I'm only playing the $2 HU games.

I don't have much in the way of advice but I have found that at these low buy in tables people are too eager to push all in. I have gotten by through playing loose aggressive, but being really unwilling to go all in. I find this works out in my favour, a lot of the time people get frustrated with me and start pushing with middle pair or top 40% pre-flop hands, so I can wait for a good hand to call them with.

My problem is that I often have to give up on bluffs, I'll raise pre-flop, get called, bet 2/3 pot on the flop and get called or re-raised (with no pair), then I have to check the turn and usually get bet against. Perhaps I'm trying to bluff too much...

Did you find a significant increase in skill of your opponents when you moved from $2 to $5?
 
jdeliverer

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What is your current BR? I would guess you are still playing outside proper BRM.
 
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Swampy Sam

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Proper BRM being not to play heads up tourneys with more than 5% of your BR? Not sure who you were replying to but I have a very small bankroll (started with $30 and worked up to $70 over 2 months).

Should I wait until I have $100 and a decent ROI to move up levels, or is having a good ROI and something like $80 good enough to move up? How much do you take buy-in fees into account? My ROI would be considerably higher if I had been playing at the higher level all along.
 
cardplayer52

cardplayer52

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i would say HU it would have to be less than 5% of you BR probably more like 1% or maybe 2%. you have to play a lot of weaker hands(oppossed to a full table) more aggressily to win. this make for a higher variance than a single table SNG.
 
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Swampy Sam

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Thanks for the advice with my BRM, I'm going to stick to these $2 games for a while until I have a bigger bankroll.

I think we're getting off the original topic though, can anyone recommend good books or sites for Heads Up play? I haven't seen much on this site or any other. There's one small strategy article here but it didn't tell me anything I hadn't seen elsewhere.
 
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