Advice for HU play

[beanfacekilla]

I just wanted to get some advice from all. I played a couple HU matches on bodog, and I lost. The poeple I played just raised, raised, bet bet. I got dealt crap every hand. I played as much as I could. I would get a pair, they get a higher pair. I pushed with a-k, they call with 3-7 flop 7-10-7 or something like that. The people just never folded anything, and always are betting and raising. How the hell do you defend against that with no cards? I didn't even care about the money, and I tried just being more agressive, and they just call with any 2 cards. Please will someone post some advice on how to play HU? I was just trying to practice cause I am a weak HU player. But I just never got any cards. When I did, they just fold. It was almost like they could see my cards in real time or something. I get kings, I min raise, they fold. I min raise other times, go all the way to showdown, they beat me with an 8-2o. Was I just playing against total loose cannons? A detailed description of HU strategy would be greatly appreciated. Thanx to all in advance. Peace.

[beanfacekilla]

Cmon Guys, with this group there has to be someone with some good advice for HU play.... Let me hear something. Peace.

[villaridge]

Ok, I will try.

1) HU strategy is way different from reg tournament play.

2) It is similar to short handed play, which is way different from reg tournament play.

3) to know how to do it, you have 3 options

1) read a lot of books

2) then go play cheap HU's a lot with the book knowledge you have

3) dont read the books, just find cheap HU games (felt stars has .17, .28, .55 and up HU games, but lol, they are slow to fill.), If you cant find that, play 6 person and 10 person cheap SNG's constantly, you will get to HU a lot and just , man, practice

Look, you gotta actually practice any game to get better at it. so go find a cheap way to do it. I say low cost SNG's or HU games, and play a lot of them. the principles of short handed play and HU play will slowly transfer to your "game", faster if you have read the books.

[Logan]

Google about Nash Equilibrium for Headups.

[villaridge]

oh yeah, lol, if you happen to have a phd in mathematics , go do Logans google.

[villaridge]

look, the Nash Equilibrium charts can help to give you a basis. For sure read them, but I just beleive that actual experience will better guide u. Plus it's always fun to yank Logans chain

[Logan]

If you don´t know your leaks can´t improve even if play 1,000,000 HU´s.

For Tourneys i think Harrington book have something, for S&G´s look on moshman book.

Is not much difference from playing in bb versus sb when everyone else fold in fullring or 6max.

-most flops will be no hit by both.
-range of hand played need to be wide
-position is still important.
-any pp is a monster

[GOIVIT]

-most flops will be no hit by both.
-range of hand played need to be wide
-position is still important.
-any pp is a monster

Very good stiff from Logan. The key is aggression, I tend to go all in or fold, this way you put your opponent under pressure. Any A is usually a winner. When I started playing online poker it was a long time before I finally got HU. Then I realized I had no clue what to do. I went and played lots of small buyin HU tables and wow did it make a difference. Good luck!

[Washerwoman]

Well...i wrote something...then i deleted it...cos i may have to play someone HU again at some stage, lol...can't divulge all my secrets...

it definitely has nothing to do with reading books......it's a "feel" game...

just get out there and see if you like that style of play...

you will know if you do and you will have to go HU with someone if you are in a position to win a game or a tourney...so a bit of practise won't hurt

Just think of it as drinking shots instead of a glass of milk and sometimes choking, then you're heading in the right direction sorry if that's vague, but i read what i wrote and it was too much information...

If u want to go solo HU watch Durrrr...if u aren't wired and don't feel it...don't do it

PS: don't play for more money than you can afford to lose...heads up is one of the most seductive ways to lose a lot of money, esp for beginners...take care don't play catch up...leave it if you are losing...that's probably the best advice of all...

PPS: Beanface the people you were playing weren't playing real heads up...they were still in the table twilight zone...betting with shit is not the answer...maybe you were just unlucky, you were probably caught off balance. If you want to get better at HU, don't play beginners...maybe don't play for money to start with...ask someone on the site, not me, uncle Dirky may give you a game, Goivit, dunno...maybe not...he's probably really sweet and will let you win...he shows a softer side often when we play

[beanfacekilla]

Thanx for all the replies. I appreciate the food for thought. I usually do ok if I make it down to final two in a SNG or MTT (the latter is few and far between). But, I played a few $5 HU matches, and I lost them, and I quit playing that particular game, haven't played since. Like I said, they would never fold anything, just str8 bully poker. I even went all in with a-k, or something like that, more than once, and was beaten by rags, everytime I did. I was just on the wrong side of it. And, one of the people I was in a match with, talked trash in the chatbox the whole time! "You are trash", he said... etc.... Then he wins a few hands later by sucking me out with rags, when I raised PF with good cards, and he just comes over the top all in, with rags, and wins. Oh well, I will just practice it in SNG's, and I will read up also, like some of you suggested. Thanx again.