Heads Up! A Head Ache?

[FinalTable]

Playing Heads Up at a final table take a different degree of play. The purpose of this thread is to see what kind of ideas everyone has on this issue. I have had some trouble in the last 3 months of 2009 with winning a tournament going into heads up play. Twice I was sitting with the chip lead, only to lose.

Couple things happen when the game goes into heads up play. I tend to tighten up my play even more, while the villain get loser than a goose. This results in me folding hand after hand. I have learned how to steal some blinds. I’ve done this by raising the pot, but this is just because I two good hole cards and the villain folds.

Other times I seem to freeze up and I can’t pull the trigger. The reason being that is that I have had on more than one occasion raised the pot with :as::ts: only to get re raised with :th::jc: and get beat in the showdown. It's a little nerve racking. I'm not sure how to get more aggressive, unless I conform to the villains style of play and play crazy wild hands and hope that I hit my cards. This doesn't seem to be the way to play things the correct way to me.

What is a good way strategy for heads up tournament final table play?

[kentucky_jim]

First thing you need to do is figure out there style of play. With your good hands make them pay to see a flop if you check your good hands you are just setting yourself up for a bad beat so bet or raise the good stuff. You need to adjust your betting for head-up play where pot size bets work for a table with 6 or more people you need to be betting 2 or 3 times the pot when playing heads-up. It is best not to try to slow play if you have the hand bet it if they fold so be it but you don't want to beat yourself by not betting your hand. My thought is small blind is where the power is if you are coming in on the SB you need to raise and if you have a bad hand fold it here. Alot of times people just call with crap this is a leak you want to avoid aggression is key. Any pair is worth a whole lot more playing head-up because the flop just doesn't help you that often here. Remember by folding your crap hands and keeping your head in the game this can wear down alot of players and make them make a mistake and don't forget to come on strong with the good stuff. Remember always choose your all-ins wisely head up is the same as running a marathon not a sprint.

[FinalTable]

Good advice Jim thanks. I feel like I'm doing what your saying. So I seem on track. It just seems then that I'm getting unlucky with the villain calling my raises sometimes and just getting lucky.

I do fold a lot of crap hands. The other problem seems that when I prolong the game with folding crap hands and raising top whole cards, the villain get tired and calls with :th::jc: against my :ks::kh: and get two pair or a straight.

I just seem to catch the hands most of the times.

[FinalTable]

I want to give KentuckyJim the credit for letting me know where I could find this information. We both thought it would be great to share with all of you. I will use this. Take a look.

http://www.pokergob.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=97


http://www.pokergob.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=98


http://www.pokergob.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=99

[Akorps]

Thanks!!! That is very useful to me ...