heads up play

Hi has anyone got any advice for heads up play as i struggle i can catorgorically say its the worst part of my game any books or information that paticuarly concentrate on it would be much appreciated

In what format, cash, or end of an mtt?

I play alot of heads up and I will write an article for the site when I return but in short it is very much about agression. The entire game of poker changes and it could not be any different from a ring game. Now cards are irrelevant, indeed you are getting dealt bad hand after bad hand but so is your opponent. It is so much more about playing your opponent and finding his weaknesses which is far easier to do now you only have one adversary. You should play to your strengths, if he likes to see many flops and limps in, then do the opposite and up your agression levels.
Players very often parrot their opponent in poker, if you raise 125 pre flop then often you find your opponent does the same, if you raise every hand you find your opponent starts to mimic you.

Always remember position is crucial heads up, play much more agressively on the button and never be afraid to make your three bets much lighter, start repopping him with marginal hands if he starts to get out of line.

As I say I will write more on the subject when I get home

Nick

phinnies1 wrote:
Always remember position is crucial heads up, play much more agressively on the button and never be afraid to make your three bets much lighter, start repopping him with marginal hands if he starts to get out of line.
Nick

wise words overall, but this bit is particularly true, and the first thing i was going to say after reading your post.

The button is the most important thing on the table heads up, and youve got to make good use of it. First to act pre - so many hands are won with the first raise heads up, esp med/short stacked - and 2nd to act on every decision thereafter, crucial, esp deep stacked.

When you're both pretty deepstacked i tend to play quite patiently and passively, rarely raising, just limping or 3 betting wehn required. If you limp virtually every button deepstacked its very hard for oppo to get an early read on you, and you'll end up playing many more hands in position - deepstacked i never fold my sb.

I also got a tip in my early days, and that was to play a heads up stt with your cards covered up (like a post it note on the screen) I tried it 5 times, and managed to jam a win 3 out of the 5, just by being very aggro. I could only call to float a turn bluff, so lots of folding, and lots of reraising Its worth a try on a cheap stt, just to get the idea firmly into your head of how important agression and position are heads up, and how unimportant your actual cards are.

You also get to have a laugh going through the hand history afterwards - i folded aa/kk to an all in pre bout 3 times, and folded AJ on a AAJ board to a snap shove from oppo lol. You basically need to grind an oppo down over a number of hands where he obv doesnt have anything - so you cant call huge reraises and all ins, but you can make them with anything....

sorry guys i forgot to thank you for the heads up on head up pardon the pun. I have found it very helpful dudes cheers.

nice advice guys.

Heads up and 3 way is the hardest part of an mtt to practice, as you get there so rarely (well i do )

I think turbo stt's are the best practice, as you get to 3 way fairly regularly.