Heads UP!

IN last post, I noted that I had been experimenting with low buy-in, heads up (1 vs. 1) poker tournaments.

Basically, they work just like any other tournament. Each person coughs up a set dollar amount. This varies from $5-10-20-30-50-100-200. The difference is, only two people are allowed to join.

Most website based poker rooms, offer this heads up format for NL hold'em, limit hold'em, omaha, razz, etc. What's great, is a new game starts about every 30 seconds. At least on Full Tilt.

I've always thought I was good enough at heads up. I think my winning percentage, once a tourney has narrowed to only two of us, is around 75-80%. And I know a few of those loses were in an ugly suck-out kind of way. But I was really liking the idea of getting paid off, without having to figure out nine other guys all at once.

What I have found, is that heads up play, really forces you to vary your betting style, much more so than usual. Sometimes, it's easy to fall into a predictable betting pattern, thus allowing others to see through your cards. 1 on 1, it's all about set up, change up, and hopefully end up, on top.

So, two days ago, I win three in a row. Yesturday, I stuck exclussively to low buy-in, 1v1 matches, and winning another 3 of 5. By 2pm, I was up $45 overall. Small potatoes, but still, the win percentage is all I was caring about (only one match offered a total fish [easy player]).

Now feeling confident and all, I parleyed all my $50 for one more 1v1. I figured, $100 in two days, from a start of $5, was damn good.

This guy was aggressive from the start. But not to worry, these guys are the easiest. You let them steal blinds right and left. But when you catch cards, they usualy bet into you, essentially giving thier chips away. The real trick is, to not attempt to play the over-aggressive-back-at-them game. At least for me, this has never worked. In fact, twice, I've been worked for a mountain of cash in 30-60. Clever vs. Agro is the only way I have found.

SO, this is how it went. He stole every pot from me for the first ten hands. Then I catch AA. He bets into me the whole way, and I whallop him for a hefty sum. He steals pots for another 10-15 hands, and my flush then whallops him again.
It went on exactly like that for over 90 minutes. The blinds were then up to 200-400, which is a whole lot, when only two players start with a mere 1500 in chips. It forces an impending end to the game, coming down to who gets the best hand(s) at the very end.

And here's one for the record books.

I have about 1200 in chips. He has 1800. He's the big blind for 400. He now has 1400, and my small means I have 1000. But there is 600 in the pot before we even see cards. Effectively making the last hour and half, a dead even match if I win this hand, only taking the blinds.

I get K-9. I call the big blind, and raise another 200. He calls. $1000 in the pot now.
Flop is 9-9-10. I'm the first to act. I check. He checks.
Turn is a 2. I bet 200. He goes all in.

Of course I call. He held 10-7, giving him 2 pair (10's and 9's with a 7 kicker), I have trip 9's with a king kicker. I'm a heavy favorite, 95.5% to be precise.

The river offers the dagger through my heart, a 10.
Only 4 times out of 100 would he have got that last 10.

His full house, 10's full of 9's renders my 9's full of 10's useless.

But I am reading a new book! See picture above.