Here’s the chart for a reminder…
Basic reason for this stage
Heads up comes down to a very simple approach. Do the opposite of what your opponent does. In order to know what he’s doing, you must use a couple tricks to figure him out.
Basic Play for this Stage
Since you are heads up, your playing style will depend on a couple different things.
While you are trying to figure out your opponents style, play the following basic way:
From SB:
Raise with any pair, J9o+, Q8o+, K4o+, any ace, 89s+, Q6s+, any K.
Call the big blind with any other hand – hoping to get lucky and build a trap.
From BB:
Facing a raise:
Reraise allin with Any pair, A3s+, K8s+ QTs+A7o+, KTo+, QJo+.
Call the raise if it is relatively small (with any 2 cards) or if your stack is huge. You are looking for a good opportunity to trap your opponent.
Facing a Call:
Reraise allin with any pair, any Ace, any two face cards. Check with anything else.
Classifications
As you grind through the heads up tourney, take note of how your opponent is playing. If you can determine a playing style, it will help you win the tourney. It will give you a slight edge.
1. Way Too Tight (easiest to beat):
b. This person will rarely raise before the flop.
e. They will never really bluff against you. If you check on the flop, turn card comes – if you bet they will almost always fold.
2. Way too loose (about average to beat)
b. This person will raise often before the flop. In fact, many times they will go all-in.
a. This person will fold his small blind to your big blind more than half the time.
c. After the flop, if this person checks to you and you bet, they will fold almost every time. Every once in a while – they will reraise you allin.
d. Every once in a while, the flop comes and they will bet. If you call or reraise, they will push all-in.
f. If you raise their blind 3BB – they will fold almost all the time.
g. If the do call your blind, and you reraise them 3BB, they will almost always fold.
a. This person will always at least call your big blind – he will never fold sb to bb. (this is actually a good move)
c. After the flop, if you check – they will make a bet almost every time. (usually they miss the flop – remember 70% of the time – you will miss the flop – its clear that they can’t be hitting the flop every time – they are definetly bluffing)
d. After the flop, if you check and they check, turn comes and you bet, they reraise all-in (they flopped a monster hand and are trying to trap you)
f. Manytimesiftheyraisebeforetheflop(theydothisalot) if you come over the top allin, they will fold often.
3. Very good player (tough to beat)
a. This person will always at least call your big blind – he will never fold sb to bb. (this is actually a good move)
- This person will raise/call the flop about an equal number of times. No real pattern.
- After the flop, if you check – they will make a bet only some of the time (maybe 50%) – they are mixing up their steals with real hands apparently
- After the flop, if you check and they check, turn comes and you bet, they reraise all-in only part of the time. Some times they will actually fold.
- As the heads up session progresses, If you start going all- in a lot, they will adjust and start calling your all-ins.
