andrew batkin
05-01-2005, 12:03 PM
Anyone know if there is any info out there concerning starting standards
and strategy for heads up play.
_________________________________________________________________
Posted using RecPoker.com - http://www.recpoker.com
Gary Carson
05-01-2005, 12:03 PM
On 06 Aug 2003 15:16:39 GMT, "andrew batkin"
<andrewbatkin@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Anyone know if there is any info out there concerning starting
standards
>and strategy for heads up play.
>
Raise a lot. If he folds keep raising. If he bets a lot then don't
fold much. If he seldom bets then fold when he does.
That's pretty much it.
Gary Carson
Newgca
05-01-2005, 12:03 PM
>
>Anyone know if there is any info out there concerning starting standards
>and strategy for heads up play.
>
Look in the Google archives. Russ GCA heads -up
mccaffo
05-03-2005, 01:27 PM
Number one, when you play heads up, you don't have to have the best hand to win, you just need to make the other person fold. Aggression is key. You can not win if you are only willing to check and call and you are only willing to put money in the pot when you have a great hand. You need to use your position and keep the pressure on the other person to make a hand.
Number two, you need to play the other person's hand as much as you are playing your own. This frees you up so you are better able to see spots to bluff. Remember, to win all you have to do is make the other guy fold. What difference does it make if you bet with nothing and win or if you bet with the nuts and win? In every single hand, one of the two of you will win. A vast majority of the time neither one of you will have much of a hand preflop or on the flop. The person who is more aggressive has a huge advantage because it forces the other guy to have to call and make a hand to win. If he checks on the flop that should be an automatic bet. If he raises you can always fold but you can't give him free cards if you have position.
Number three, try not to look at the flop in the same way you would at a full table. If you had middle pair at a full table, you would feel very good about it. In a heads up game if you have middle pair, you are doing really well. The strength of hands goes way down in value. If you have position (are on the button), and you are going to play, you almost always come in for a raise. Don't just call. If the other guy is playing every single hand, then you will also need to play everyhand. Use your position and make sure to make him pay preflop when you have a decent hand.
Laslty, although I may be hard to get a handle on how someone else plays if you aren't playing with them very much, do your best. Heads up poker is much more of a person to person game then ring games are. You really are trying to get inside the other guy's head so you can put his play into context and make the right moves. You want an idea of what he raises you with preflop, how he plays it postflop if he actually has it or not and so on.