HU Analysis

InsaneGuy

I defenetly have huge leaks when it comes to HU play ... I jus finished one 2nd after start close to HU in chips... here are the hands I folded/didn't play and would like opinion...

The opponent was decent for what I saw of the short final table.

First hand :
PokerStars Game #16627972101: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:16:03 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (14470 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (12530 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [6h Ts]
glassley25: raises 1200 to 2400
InsaneGuy: folds

First hand HU not sure I want to call a raise there as it'sa big chunk of my stack...

glassley25 collected 2550 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2550 | Rake 0
Seat 4: glassley25 (button) (small blind) collected (2550)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (big blind) folded before Flop

3rd hand :

PokerStars Game #16627981870: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:16:28 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (14470 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (12530 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [3h Td]
glassley25: raises 1200 to 2400

Kinda the same as the other one except an even worse hand

InsaneGuy: folds
glassley25 collected 2550 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2550 | Rake 0
Seat 4: glassley25 (button) (small blind) collected (2550)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (big blind) folded before Flop

5th hand :

PokerStars Game #16627993135: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:16:58 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (14470 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (12530 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [3h Ks]
glassley25: raises 1200 to 2400
InsaneGuy: calls 1200

Should I fold or re-raise or the call is fine there?

*** FLOP *** [Jd Jc 4d]
InsaneGuy: checks
glassley25: bets 1200

I wanted to push here but I was behind alot of hands so I folded...

InsaneGuy: folds
glassley25 collected 4950 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4950 | Rake 0
Board [Jd Jc 4d]
Seat 4: glassley25 (button) (small blind) collected (4950)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (big blind) folded on the Flop

Hand 6 :

PokerStars Game #16627998938: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:17:14 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (16945 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (10055 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts small blind 600
glassley25: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [Tc 5d]
InsaneGuy: folds

That was weak I think... shoulda raised, opinion?

glassley25 collected 1350 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1350 | Rake 0
Seat 4: glassley25 (big blind) collected (1350)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (button) (small blind) folded before Flop

Hand 7:

PokerStars Game #16628002805: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:17:24 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (17620 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (9380 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [4s 9d]
glassley25: raises 1200 to 2400

Don't see anything bad with that fold except my stack is getting low...

InsaneGuy: folds
glassley25 collected 2550 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2550 | Rake 0
Seat 4: glassley25 (button) (small blind) collected (2550)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (big blind) folded before Flop

Hand 10 :
PokerStars Game #16628017611: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:18:04 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (16345 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (10655 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts small blind 600
glassley25: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [Qs 3h]
InsaneGuy: calls 600
glassley25: raises 2400 to 3600

Stupid call? Need a raise? Bad fold... ?

InsaneGuy: folds
glassley25 collected 2550 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2550 | Rake 0
Seat 4: glassley25 (big blind) collected (2550)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (button) (small blind) folded before Flop

hand 11 :

PokerStars Game #16628024167: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:18:22 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (17620 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (9380 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [Tc Jc]
glassley25: raises 16345 to 17545 and is all-in
InsaneGuy: calls 8105 and is all-in

Low M , J10s HU is a fairly decent hand so I called... of course I was dominated...can you find a fold here ?

*** FLOP *** [Ad 2h 5h]
InsaneGuy said, "gg"
*** TURN *** [Ad 2h 5h] [7s]
*** RIVER *** [Ad 2h 5h 7s] [Qd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
InsaneGuy: shows [Tc Jc] (high card Ace)
glassley25: shows [As Jh] (a pair of Aces)
glassley25 collected 18760 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 18760 | Rake 0
Board [Ad 2h 5h 7s Qd]
Seat 4: glassley25 (button) (small blind) showed [As Jh] and won (18760) with a pair of Aces
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (big blind) showed [Tc Jc] and lost with high card Ace

I coulda prolly done alot better if I had a bit more HU experience... I think?

Pinhead

Find the raise button.

Press it.

Repeat.

The Prophet 22

Pinhead;147997 wroteFind the raise button.

Press it.

Repeat.

Nice!

In heads up play it is not about the cards you have, it is about the will to win. In order to do that you will have to raise at some point with any 2 cards. You also have to learn to push back at a raiser, some times you will find it works and sometimes you will get caught. Heads up play is an art form. But if you are not an artist try all-in every hand.

Prophet 22

InsaneGuy

The Prophet 22;147999 wroteNice!

In heads up play it is not about the cards you have, it is about the will to win. In order to do that you will have to raise at some point with any 2 cards. You also have to learn to push back at a raiser, some times you will find it works and sometimes you will get caught. Heads up play is an art form. But if you are not an artist try all-in every hand.

Prophet 22

I dunno about the all-in every hand... lol
I really want to learn as the difference between 2nd and 1st is so big that there's no reason not to make sure you're good HU...

If I don't count the times I was either 1 to 10 in chips or 10 to 1 in chips I feel like I have no edge at all against an opponent who has any idea on how to play heads up...

Is there a good article somewhere I can read or a HU book, something?
Would be very appreciated...

What I like about the hand I posted is there's a big variety of them... so I think it's easy to spot the mistakes.

pokrgod

villain is stealing every pot. he knows by the second or third hand that you're going to fold unless you have a premium hand. In HU, the more aggressive player wins the majority of the time. in first hand with 10 6, i'd have called the min raise. 3600 + in the pot + antes and cost you 1200 to call. good odds to see a flop as heads up he could be raising with anything. If you hit, you make money, miss and easy fold to his bet.

blackmagicz

Here is my analysis hope it helps:

Hand 1-3 is fine....you can go ahead and fold, keep in mind with HU you are building an image to steal when you don't have cards and chances are the aggressor will have to give you credit for a hand.

In this scenario the aggressor is playing small ball he is trying to see if you will put up resistance. Everytime you fold he is getting more and more confident that he can run you over.

With players like this I like to play possum, because what I like to do is give them the false sense of security that he has +edge on me. Now with this in mind I am looking for a flop like hand 5

Hand 5 is where you make your move. You have established 2 things:

1. This guy is playing very fast looking to accumulate chips
2. Your range will be smaller than his so you can get away with steals on co-ordinated boards

With hand 5 when the flop comes JJ4 and you have K3 and he bets the flop, I float here for 1 bet. This does two things:

1. Lets him know I have a hand (surprise I don't but he doesn't know that...lol)
2. I have position so I am going to take it down on the turn because my call on the flop represents I have hit the board. In this case the villian has not JJ4 he checks a J on that flop because he is bluffing every other one. What ever hits on the turn if you are checked to you have to fire out a pot sized bet.

Now the reason you fire out a pot sized bet is it increases your "weak tight" image to "I only play a pot when I have a hand and I have no clue what you have and I am scared of my hand so I am betting a monster"

Wash, rinse, repeat that formula :) You will eventually trap him because there will be times you float him with a monster and when you do, you check the turn (because your range is way better than his) and the river you smash it. And the other times you float with nothing you still take down the pot on the turn because most of these guys heads up will not double barrell unless they have a made hand.

Now for hand 11

hand 11 :

PokerStars Game #16628024167: Tournament #84215550, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/04/10 - 14:18:22 (ET)
Table '84215550 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 4: glassley25 (17620 in chips)
Seat 9: InsaneGuy (9380 in chips)
glassley25: posts the ante 75
InsaneGuy: posts the ante 75
glassley25: posts small blind 600
InsaneGuy: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to InsaneGuy [Tc Jc]
glassley25: raises 16345 to 17545 and is all-in
InsaneGuy: calls 8105 and is all-in

This is incorrect on many levels. J10 is losing to any Q,K, A or PP....his all in move is typical aggressive play....he has run over you so much that he figures now if he increases his bet and starts shoving you will call with any decent cards.

Don't fall into this trap, most aggressive opponents will do this 3-4 times max and then get frustrated because you are folding. The idea here is wait for him to go back to his min-raise flop bets and then pound the flop and put the pressure on him.

I don't like calling all ins by maniac players unless I have a PP or at least AJ-AK.

Hope that helps :)

pkrfce9

PWNED

the main thing you gotta be conscious of here is to not let you stack get so low that the threat of a push means nothing to him.

don't be in a rush to get those chips in with crap, though. even at 9k, he is only 2:1 over you in chips so it will hurt him he loses a push. don't feel compelled to CALL a push here with cards that are likely behind. you want to be the one pushing and make him make the tough decision. caution: if you get down to 3:1 then your push is getting called by most hands so you don't have many hands before you are compelled to act strongly.

if it looks like he is trying to steal EVERY friggin hand, you've got to play back. i might let him get away with the first 3 or 4 steals if i have absolute crap but the next time he raises my blind i jam with any two. if the stacks are deep enough i might just call and let him bet the flop before i jam. that can result in a huge swing in the chips if he is on a total bluff as i would expect.

with the blinds so high, at some point you gotta roll the dice. if you are the one calling, i hope you have an above average hand.

p.s. blackmagicz, when some puts up a huge friggin post, please don't quote the whole thing. think of all those wasted electrons...

bleemo

You let him bully you too early.. too often.

Any K or A HU is def worth a re-raise to see where you're at, you admitted early in your post you're not strong HU and villian read it early and took full advantage.

It's not the cards, it's the player, especially HU, I realize he had you covered every step of the way, in every hand , but he was challenging you over and over to take half of his chips.

The hand with the K in it was a far better call than JT but by this time he realized he could coherse you into a call when he probably DID have a good hand.

ahh well , that's poker, but i will gaurantee every hand he pumped at you was NOT premium or even close to premium.

cheers...

blackmagicz

There edited my post..sorry :)

InsaneGuy

THanks for all the great tips!
I'll put that in practice next tournament I end up HU ... ! :)

bleemo

Like that's going to happen