VanillaAfro.com :: Topic review - 10 Heads Up tips from the best NE Philly Heads Up Player

tqatsju · Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 10:35 pm Post subject: heads up

yeah your advice is great, i've found also that a good tell in heads up especially is quick checking, i mean if a person checks right away like it was an afterthought to check then they normally have nothing....another good tell which is tough but sometimes is true is the old long bet time, if someone waits a while to make a bet they normally have something really good....this isn't always true though....The other thing i'd say too is I still like raising with really good hands like AK, AQ, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 10's pre-flop....but like you said if you are going to do this you also want to throw in a bluff raise, and you're also going to have to bet no matter what the flop brings....Also another tell which is a little more obvious is when you make a big raise and someone goes all in right away they have a monster most of the time

Wolfy

10) Never raise pre-flop, especially against an aggressive player because all a raise is going to do is give away some strength in your hand. You want to off-balanced, and just calling or checking pre-flop will keep your opponent guessing.
9) Likewise, never fold the small blind in heads up (No matter what you hand is). Only consider folding if your opponent raises.
Cool

Forget about how many chips you have because heads up poker is almost always decided by ONE huge hand. You want to win this hand. So, frequently call reasonable raises with a variety of hands. You main focus shold be to not be dominated. So, its better to call a small raise with 67 suited than K-5. Also, call raises with any A and check call bets if A flops. Its rare for you and your opponent in heads up to both have an ace. But be cautious about re-raising.
7) A-J is the most overrated hand in heads up. Its a solid hand, but don't re-raise with it. I can't tell you how much $ I have won in a preflop all-in situation in which I have had AK or AQ and my oppent has had AJ. Be somewhat cautious with AQ in this situation too.
6) Just like in a 10 person table situation, sets are the easiest hand to get paid off on in heads up poker. So, always call raises (3-7x's the blind) with any pocket pair. You will lose most of these situations. But like I said earlier, heads up is won or lost by ONE hand, so when you hit a set - You will win the $.
5) When last to act on the river, NEVER bet mediocre hands. Especially when you have been betting throughout the hand. The only way your opponent will call is if he has you beat and you also give him another chance to bluff you off the hand. You main objective is to win that ONE huge hand, and the last thing you want to do is create one with a mediocre hand when you just as easily could have checked on the river.
4) Forget about pot odds SOMEWHAT when chasing flush draws and open (or double belly buster) straight draws. Now, don't go crazy and call a $600 bet with a $100 pot; but be more inclined to call with bad odds. The reason for this is, like I said, you are tring to win that ONE huge hand and can afford to lose a little more pot odds to do so.
3) NEVER, EVER fold a two-card flush on a unpaired board. I hold this same philosophy in a full table, but ESPECIALLY in a one-on-one situation. It is EXTREMELY rare in heads up for your opponent to hold a higher 2-card flush than you- so raise with one; and re-raise regardless of rank of your 2 suited cards. I also almost never fold in this situation when the board pairs, but this is more of a feel situation.
2) DUMBEST mistake I see IDIOTS make in heads up is call a huge bet or an all-in with a made board. What I mean is a non-flush board of 45678 with a pot of like 140; and I bet 680 on the river and I get called by a CLOWN playing board. Obviously I have a 9 or a 9-10, but these morons don't believe me. Poker, especially heads up, is a measure or RISK vs. REWARD. So, why risk 680 chips to split a 140 chip pot. If you opponent is bluffing - As Smitty would say, "SO WHAT!"
1) Not really a piece of strategic advice, but more of a financial advice. HEADS UP HOLDEM is the best way to make $$$$$. I admit, it is WAY more boring than a tournament, a sit-and-go, or a cash game; but it is much more profitable. And that is the name of the game. Aslong as you are PATIENT, SHARP, and use this advice from a flat out HEADS UP GENIUS; you can turn poker from an enjoyable (and most time non-enjoyable) hobby into a profitable 2nd form of income. You might win more in tourneys or ring games, but the swings in profit and loss can drive anyone insane. HEADS UP is much more CONSISTENT. If you minimize all your mistakes, than you can expect to win about 15x's the amount you play for per week. Lets say you fell comfortable playing $20 heads up - You can expect to win about $300 a week consistently. GOOD LUCK!!!