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Hu Basics

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Just a quick basic guide to get you started at low stakes nl HU games.

BRM/TABLE SELECTION/Moving Up

You want at least 50 bi at lower limits to overcome the high variance of hu play.
Move up when you have at least 50bi of the new limit and you feel you have beaten the current limit. Make sure you have played many hours and hands before you move up.
Table selection : Stay away from regulars. Easiest to do this by just starting/joining your own table.
Make sure you are only playing against people who buy in full. Sit out is your friend. Just sit out until they either fill up or leave.
When you finally do move up try not to change your play too quickly. If the way you previously played seems exploitable by better opponents slowly vary your play not trying to add any over the top bluffs or hero calls.

Strategy

In heads up play your overall game plan should roughly be like in every game of holdem to play as many hands as possible in position whilst trying to lose as little as you can out of position. This is accomplished by opening a wide variety of hands in position and folding alot from the bb.
When starting out with hu play i would adopt a raise or fold strategy in position.
When raising in position against a full stacked opponent i would go with the standard 3bb raise.
Reraising i would go with slightly higher than 3 times his raise eg. If i was playing a .50/$1 table and the button raised to $3 i would reraise roughly 10-12$. If you were to reraise below 9$ your opponent will be priced to call with any 2 especially with position. If you raise much heavier than that you will lose all action and force a reraise/push or fold from your opponent.
If you find yourself in a 3 or 4 bet pot you are looking to get all your money in with TPTK or higher and any draw oesd+.
So to sum it up Make your Money IN POSITION whilst trying to lose as little as possible from the BB

Starting Hand Guide

These will vary opponent to opponent as you will have to be continuously adjusting your ranges to their play style

Button/SB: To start off i wouldn't suggest raising every hand to keep yourself out of tricky post flop situations. We will still open 60% or so of our hands.
I would raise with :
22+ / Axs+ / A7o+ / K8s+ / KTo+ / Q9o+ / 34s+ / 45o+ / gaped 46s+ / Gaped 57o+ / 2gap 58s+.
If you are raised 3bets or more then reraise with AK+ JJ+ and call an allin if your opponent goes over the top.
Call with any pockets 22+ / 67s-910s / j9s-j10s / AQ / AJs+ / KQ ( I would personally prefer to call with hands that will get you into little trouble as possible post flop so i would fold hands like A9 AT AJ KJ QJ)
Once again only proceeding with the hand with TPTK 2 pair or better or a good draw the hands you are calling with will let you either flop big or get away cheap.

BB
In limped pot raise 4bb with A10+ 88+ KJ+ J/9+
3bb Raised pot reraise TT+ AK AQ and occasionally reraise with smaller suited cons like 89s to mix up your game.
Call with 22-99 A10+ k10+ 56s+ 67+ 68s+
Throw away most your trouble hands like small aces kings and Q's when you are out of position.

This is just something really basic to play around with yourself and build on.
At the moment i just churned this out quickly because i noticed alot of interest in hu games. I will edit this post and make it a little more readable if thier is enough interest.
Will add a little for post flop and betting lines if i could be bothered to add onto this. Feel free to comment but remember this is ment to keep your decisions fairly easy and out of trouble


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17 replies
mdkpoker83
Joined: 27.07.2008

Very nice post. Keep it going =)

I'm interesting in these HU plays ... maybe it could be a strategy tutorial available from when you are a gold member or something like that, so that you have more than 50BI or at least understand that you need it.


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TribunCaesar
Joined: 29.04.2007

Very nice post. I make it sticky. Keep it up.


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such bs i wrote in that post. can't believe it


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This is basic guide for low stakes HU. You shouldnt be playing headsup unless you have basic playskills. If you are just starting out play fullring/sh to develop your game then hit up HU.
Your in position open range is to exploit bad play at small limits. Your opponents are generally over passive and not willing to 3 bet without JJ+. They will let you see far 2 many flops with very marginal hands and you can almost print free money with aggression.

Once again this is LOW STAKES GUIDE the rake is crazy and it is just not profitable to play unless your opponents are playing full to overcome rake.
Even at higher limits i prefer playing against fullstacked opponents. Noone wants to be limited in there play and the freedom big stack poker adds is 1 of the main appeals of hu play.

SMALL POCKET pairs and sc are played OOP on a hit big or fold basis you are not proceeding without 2pair/set/big draw or better. It keeps inexperienced players out of trouble.

Adjusting to your opponent play means exactly what you are saying. Dont stop leading with a large range of hands untill he shows he can 3bet back.
I have 3bet someone every hand and instead of adjusting they just called me pidaras can only win money with bluff and just left table instead of coming over top.
YOU only adjust to your opponent once they have shown you need to.
Reread this before commenting as well i never said to fold A10/QJ etc oop i said fold in position in a 3 bet pot you are 2 often dominated and never really know exactly where you stand no matter what card you hit.


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whatever...


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dallievas
Joined: 30.11.2007

Hi Skribbles,
Very nice post.Thanks.I played HU a few times in microlimits and it looked pretty wild for me,nity beginner.All I know about HU is this:
edit by TribunCaesar: I am sorry, this link is not allowed.
(Dear moderator-if I can`t post this link then sorry. :)Just delete it,plz.)
I have a few questions:
1) since what limit do you recommend to start learn HU ? I heard opinion that it should be not earlier than NL50.
2)

Stay away from regulars

Should not I play with them for learning purposes (with extra BR security measures)?
Good luck. :)


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Originally posted by dallievas
Hi Skribbles,
Very nice post.Thanks.I played HU a few times in microlimits and it looked pretty wild for me,nity beginner.All I know about HU is this
(Dear moderator-if I can`t post this link then sorry. :)Just delete it,plz.)
I have a few questions:
1) since what limit do you recommend to start learn HU ? I heard opinion that it should be not earlier than NL50.
2)

Stay away from regulars

Should not I play with them for learning purposes (with extra BR security measures)?
Good luck. :)

1) You can start playing hu from any limit but just realise you will lose a lot of the money to rake. Its never 2 early to start playing but i do recommend you have at least have a decent knowledge of the game you are playing before you start out. nl10-20-50 are all playable but i only recommend you play against people who are playing with full stacks else rake will just be 2 much of a problem

2) Yes regulars will provide you with a great chance to learn but you may find yourself down a lot of buyins in record time especially against a very aggressive player. You can still learn and improve to a point playing weaker opponents.


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dallievas
Joined: 30.11.2007

Thanks for very quick answer. :heart:
Good luck and write some more when you reach new level. :)


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mdkpoker83
Joined: 27.07.2008

I've seen that there is the possibility to play limit HU.

For me, it seems easier to play limit HU (because you don't loose your stack on one flop :)).

Does anybody know a proper strategy for limit HU and which bankroll should one have in order to play it?


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Kimber88
Joined: 08.07.2008

Could the same tactics be applied for HU SnG??


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Kruppe
Joined: 20.02.2008

Originally posted by SkribblesButton/SB: To start off i wouldn't suggest raising every hand to keep yourself out of tricky post flop situations. We will still open 60% or so of our hands.
I would raise with :
22+ / Axs+ / A7o+

are you serious? am I missing something? If this is good hu strategy, I'm really bad, so please tell me :)

also, is '34s+' the normal abreviation for '43s, 54s, 65s,...'? I'm assuming that's what you meant.


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So tight...

Originally posted by Kimber88
Could the same tactics be applied for HU SnG??

Maybe in the beginning but later you have to be more agressive.


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Originally posted by Kruppe

Originally posted by SkribblesButton/SB: To start off i wouldn't suggest raising every hand to keep yourself out of tricky post flop situations. We will still open 60% or so of our hands.
I would raise with :
22+ / Axs+ / A7o+

are you serious? am I missing something? If this is good hu strategy, I'm really bad, so please tell me :)

also, is '34s+' the normal abreviation for '43s, 54s, 65s,...'? I'm assuming that's what you meant.

Yeah, I like to fold my A6o on the button so that I can wait for a 57o to raise with, too. Also, it looks like you would be folding over 50% of all hands on the button and even more in the BB given those ranges. While it is obviously that tight play is beneficial from the BB, I do not see how your proposed strategy could be very profitable, and it is certainly not optimal.


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conall88
Joined: 02.01.2009

need a leakbusting guide imo. anyone able to do it ? I need one for sure :o.


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bradomurder
Joined: 17.10.2008

Originally posted by Skribbles
Make sure you are only playing against people who buy in full. Sit out is your friend. Just sit out until they either fill up or leave.

why is this?


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NightFrostaSS
Joined: 25.10.2008

Originally posted by bradomurder

Originally posted by Skribbles
Make sure you are only playing against people who buy in full.

why is this?

That's pretty much the opposite of what regs do these days :f_biggrin:


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bradomurder
Joined: 17.10.2008

so many fish buy in short it seems ca-razay to not play them.

speaking from personal experience as a fish I find it so frustrating when regs sit at a million tables each and don't play me when I buy in short that I just play something else instead

or I buy in short at ALL their tables and make them sit out :coolface: it's very satisfying


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