Should I be satisfied ?

[MR TOYMAKER]

Since last Saturday, I have placed 14 stgs and mtt's out of 30 played. What kills me the most is in 4 of them I had chip lead of at least 4-1 and I melted down and took second. Out of the 14, I won 1st 4 times, 2nd 5 times, 3rd 3 times, 4th once and 22nd. Some would be happy with these ITM finishes. I'm a novice player (playing online just over 6 months) striving to plug leaks in my game. Headsup is not my best part of my game. I play Lag and Tag mixing them according to the table. In the last month, I was headsup with 3-1 chip lead at least in the two Cardchat freerolls. Both times I took second

. I WANT TO WIN NOT JUST PLACE. Any advice to tighten up my headsup play?

 

[odinscott]

Be more aggressive I think, instead of tightening up HU. Either raise or fold, if the hand isnt good enough to play, then fold it. If you think its good enough to get money in on it, then raise. Also you have to loosen up your starting hands, meaning that hands that you normally wouldnt play all of a sudden have alot more value. I would bet that the problem isnt that you need to tighten up HU, but instead you need to be more aggressive. Calling stations have alot of problems HU, because they give their opponent chance after chance to catch their cards. Remember - pressure busts pipes. Especially when you have the chip lead, like you mention. Keep the pressure on them until they bust...

 

[Bentheman87]

"Either raise or fold, if the hand isnt good enough to play, then fold it."

I agree with everything but this Odin. You're getting 3:1 and you have position, at least call with any two cards, unless you're opponent is always attacking your limps, then fold only the very worst hands. Push any pair aggressively and if you have an ace, chances are you have the best hand pf so raise or call if your opponent raises. And just remember this when your HU, most flops miss most hands so exploit that fact.

 

[Styrofoam]

in heads up play, you can pretty much raise with any 2 cards on the button...and you should.

 

[dj11]

If you are the novice you say, then you should be more than satisfied.

 

[Zorba]

HU be Aggressive and either fold or raise pre flop.

 

[Rounder_D]

if your opponent just calls when he is on the button then you want to be raising everytime when your the button. reason is that all the bigger pots you will be playing in position. also dont allow them to push you around sometimes regardless of your cards you got to make a stand.

 

[MR TOYMAKER]

Thank you for all the comments and help. However, I am aggressive and rarely call. Raise or fold is my style. I was looking for something different and so far no one has commented on it. So with that in mind, Doing all those things suggested and I lost. I just got either out read or out drawn or even out lucked LOL. I'm always trying to improve my game and I want to win all the time. Maybe its experience I need more of. I pass up HU STG's because I dont like the profit or 50-50 odds. I think I will play more heads up matches. Once again thank you for all the help. Novice player ? I try to be modest and humble,having been only playing online for about 7 mos. Maybe not a novice anymore!!

 

[odinscott]

"Either raise or fold, if the hand isnt good enough to play, then fold it."

I agree with everything but this Odin. You're getting 3:1 and you have position, at least call with any two cards, unless you're opponent is always attacking your limps, then fold only the very worst hands. Push any pair aggressively and if you have an ace, chances are you have the best hand pf so raise or call if your opponent raises. And just remember this when your HU, most flops miss most hands so exploit that fact.

Why only call and give them a free card? I raise, even if its a min raise...

in heads up play, you can pretty much raise with any 2 cards on the button...and you should.

^^^ agreed with that too

 

[sin2win]

i beleive that i play 2 aggrasive for heads up... i raise a lot but i play my hands over aggrasivly as i reraise a lot and somtimes losing focus on my read.... thats my problem.

 

[pokergod15]

Heads Up

Heads up play can be tricky.

Selective aggressiveness and experience is the key.

You have to be willing to open up your range of cards dramatically since it's just you and him. Any Ace is a hand worth raising with. If your opponent reraises you then you have to let your insticts and knowledge of the player tell you what to do from there.

I firmly believe that the more experienced player heads up will come out the victor 80% of the time. I have beaten guys by being the aggressor, but I have also beaten guys by playing passive and checkraising a lot because my opponent was "over aggressive".

 

[Stefanicov]

since i ame back to poker i have gone hds up 12 times and have won them all

I play small pot poker and avoid the big all ins i want to have 4-8 -1 chip lead before i start gambling in hds up chances are u will both miss so bet out at everything and if u suspect they con betting call it 75% of online players will check the turn after a called con bet.

if the blinds are high and u hae a chip lead bet raise bet raise bet raise bully them they will fold coz it is very rare they can call you the moment they start going all in to win pots just tighten up wait for hand and finish them

you have to have reads on them if u dont u will most likely lose. if u have a read unless u get sucked out on u will win

when u have chip leads play them agressivly i have been on ft where 9 left with 90 % of the chips in play in my stack.

if u lose a big pot u just tighten up again

remember when u r chip leader U CANT BE KNOCKED OUT so play like u know that

sorry if post is confusing mine usually are