Heads Up Strategy in Pub Tournaments

[Jerry Smith]

hi all,
Just joined today and already I’m asking a question.
I’ve been playing in my local pub for about a year and do ok, but, I quite often get to the last two players with a big chip advantage and then lose. What should I be doing to finish off my opponent? Am I just getting over excited? Is it luck?
Thanks for reading
Jerry

 

[Debi]

I assume these are tournaments?

 

[Gohaku94]

Getting to hu with a heap advantage means you are the favorite. If you get to that point with a 2:1 cl is so different than a 10:1 or some crazy advantage so its way easier to lose a 2:1 advantage. Maybe this is your problem, being slight favorite does not mean you will win

 

[Luvepoker]

I have known people with the same issue as you. You might still be folding to much. When your heads up are you folding hands A7 suited, K8s and Q8 suited? Are you just limping at this point or raising every hand you enter? If you are playing to passive or folding to much there might be your problem. If you have a hand like 10/9o raise it? While you maybe behind odd are he has nothing and more often or not you have the best hand at this point. Grab a deck of cards and deal out 25 hand as if you were heads up. Look at the bad hands that are dealt constantly and what ones that are ahead. You will be surprised at the hands at times you would fold every single time earlier in the game is suddenly are ahead preflop.

 

[Jerry Smith]

I assume these are tournaments?

Yes tournament, 10_15 players down to 8 on final table

 

[hugh blair]

Luck always plays a part.

 

[Jerry Smith]

I have known people with the same issue as you. You might still be folding to much. When your heads up are you folding hands A7 suited, K8s and Q8 suited? Are you just limping at this point or raising every hand you enter? If you are playing to passive or folding to much there might be your problem. If you have a hand like 10/9o raise it? While you maybe behind odd are he has nothing and more often or not you have the best hand at this point. Grab a deck of cards and deal out 25 hand as if you were heads up. Look at the bad hands that are dealt constantly and what ones that are ahead. You will be surprised at the hands at times you would fold every single time earlier in the game is suddenly are ahead preflop.

Ha, I thought I was being too aggressive...

 

[Fastone2]

Honestly, its difficult to say. There are many possibilities. First of all, the last two guys that are winning are probably out of your league as a player. Secondly, its very possible that your being taken....

 

[Debi]

It really depends on your opponent. I am assuming you know most of these people and play with them often.

My experience in pub tournaments is that only about 10% of the players even have a clue how to play good poker.

If your opponent is tight and you have a big stack you should be play8ing very aggressively - but cautious when they bet first.

If they are loose and play loads of hands you should re-raise frequently.

You can usually get a good feel for how they play pretty quickly and need to adjust accordingly. Just remember that heads up your range is a lot wider for being ahead.

 

[Jerry Smith]

Honestly, its difficult to say. There are many possibilities. First of all, the last two guys that are winning are probably out of your league as a player. Secondly, its very possible that your being taken....

Just me and one other, I don’t always lose but have had a fair number of losses from a big stack position

 

[Jon Poker]

Just me and one other, I don’t always lose but have had a fair number of losses from a big stack position

Sometimes things just dont go your way and you will lose hands you are not supposed to be losing. Mix up your game, dont raise everypot, limp from time to time, raise and reraise, ship it in from time to time. Keep your opponent guessing, apply pressure, put them in tough spots. If he raises preflop ship it over the top with A10 offsuit and put him to the test. Give a little, take alot. There are going to be runouts where you get it in good and the poker gods are just gonna slam the flop with every card he needs to beat you - it is what it is - but heads up play is very fun and an area that most rec players really arnt very good at - exploit that!

Good luck to you and i hope you start winning more.

 

[MetaDon7577]

Do not worry, keep going in the same direction. Without luck, too, you can not! In the case where there are a couple of people left, you can bluff from time to time, but not often. Be more patient and there will be a holiday in your life! I wish you success.

 

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks everybody, I’ll try some of it out tonight if I get that far