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Poker "Heads Up Play" - Do You Have a Plan?

Discussion in 'Poker Forum' started by TEACH (AlSpath), Mar 18, 2015.

  1. TEACH (AlSpath)

    TEACH (AlSpath) Active Member Founding Member

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    Cash or tournament, you decide, but tell us how you approach the game in it's final minutes.

    What range are you playing, what backs you off, or signals you should attack more?

    What are some combinations of cards there is no way you will play?

    When do change modes (start to push all-in for example)? When chip stacks are favoring you 4-1, or you are behind in chips 5-1? Is there a model?

    Have you ever thought to yourself in a tournament (I have 2nd place locked up), I can go extremely aggressive (not stupid), but put heavy pressure on my opponents, the worse that can happen is I still win 2nd place?

    thanks in advance for any comments, contributions, thoughts we might not have thought of.

    poker lesson avatar.jpg
     
  2. DRAikens

    DRAikens Member Lineage to Founders

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    my thoughts is , if i already have second locked up,. than i will get super aggressive, with good playing hands, groups 1 thru 5, and medium aggressive with groups 6 and 7, and group 8 would have to be a check situation, which means if my opponent checks instead of bets i will see a flop, and group 9 is out of the question for me,.
     
  3. TEACH (AlSpath)

    TEACH (AlSpath) Active Member Founding Member

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    What hands are in group 9 (if I can ask David)?
     
  4. robert strong

    robert strong Member Lineage to Founders

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    I usually play a bit more aggressive for me at least Im usually a conservative player, but have to open up my range significantly for heads up play, I usually play using my rep and trying to figure out my opponents style before we get heads up to see how he will play. I will usually call most raises as long as it makes sense, I wont play in hands where I do not have connectors and usually will not bet even bottom pair a lot of times I notice if you play a certain way and hold by it most players will eventually adapt to you rather than the opposite. The key is to not to get rattled if you lose a few hands early or the player is making huge moves early. The point is to make him play your game not vice versa.
     
  5. ronald spaner

    ronald spaner New Member Founding Member

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    First of all a game plan is in order. The question is have I played against this player before? Now if the ans is yes I will put together a game plan based on this player depending how tight or loose they play in the past and how wide their range is and how I responded to their patterns. If it is somebody new than in order to determine how they play I will experiment with a much wider range of hands and see how this player responds what kind of patterns they respond with and while pref lop hand selections mean something I will always try to protect the button in most cases and try to adjust to what I think they are doing by getting into their head.
     
  6. DRAikens

    DRAikens Member Lineage to Founders

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    all other groups or hand not mentioned in the above groups., these would be unsuited cards like
    10,2 9,2 8,2, 7,2 6,2, off suit ,just to give an example., some of the lower ones turn into connector with better possibilities, yet not a hole lot better,. on a card chart they would be called inferior hands,. or better put miracle hands, which have been know to hit.,
     
  7. ronald spaner

    ronald spaner New Member Founding Member

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    First of all a game plan is in order and this article is about tournaments. The question is have I played against this player before? Now if the ans is yes I will put together a game plan based on this player depending how tight or loose they play in the past and how wide their range is and how I responded to their patterns. If it is somebody new than in order to determine how they play I will experiment with a much wider range of hands and see how this player responds what kind of patterns they respond with and while pref lop hand selections mean something I will always try to protect the button in most cases and try to adjust to what I think they are doing by getting into their head.

    The no 1 reason for me to attack more is when my opponent shows weakness.
    The thing that makes me back off more is when my opponent confuses me with his line of betting also a dry board such as 8 2 6 flop means its time to get aggressive and a wet board such as an a k 10 would make me very cautious.

    I will push all in on various hand but with the accept ion of a very high pair I am usually doing it post fop. Such as the board come out with either an ace or a king and I have the better kicker this will give me the odds that I am looking for or the higer end of a atraight or a nice set depending on what I think my opponent would do.


    If I have second place locked up its because I used my stack size to pressure people to get there
    and know I have second place locked up I would tend to be more agressive.
     

  8. DRAikens

    DRAikens Member Lineage to Founders

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    there is another way i look at heads up play , and it probably goes against everyone's way of thinking,. and that is heads up,. you have a 50/50 chance to win on any hand,. because before the flop anything can flop., so the group 9 cards are all the left overs cards not in the other groups, and even they can hit,.
     
  9. DRAikens

    DRAikens Member Lineage to Founders

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    i guess i forgot this,. if i am in the small blind or last to act after the flop, i believe that's the small blind, with a group 9 type and it is checked to me , i will see the flop and proceed from there,. i am going down to the river tonight, hope to get in the money,. game plan , play a lot tighter, and curve my aggression to,. situational aggression, or selective aggression/,. let you know the results good or bad,.
     

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