Heads-up and Short Stacked

**puddlejumper** · 02-08-2005

Weekly NL Hold'em tournament at my buddy's house. 11 players (we squeezed onto one table). 2 players left me and the CL, who has about 2:1 advantage. What strategy should I use? The CL was a very passive player and I was raising/stealing a lot of pots until he showed some aggression then I backed off, unless I also had something. Ended up busting out on A3h v. 1010, when I caught a 3, but nothing else. Was all-in with an A3s wrong heads up? What other suggestions do you have for being short stacked. I'm probably the best player in our group and have been playing really well lately after a run of not playing well. Last three tournaments: 1, 2, 2. The last time I didn't finish in the money was when I was busted out with KK vs. A6s (he caught an ace on the turn).

**Marm** · 02-08-2005

thats the right strategy to use, selective agression against passive opponents.

Depends if he pushed or you did. If he showed the all-in type aggression (ie he pushed or indicated he was willing to do so) then you prbably should have released it.

**puddlejumper** · 02-09-2005

I was the one who made the all-in move. I was 'dealer' and he called the BB, which was 200/400 and then I made the all-in move, with just a call I didn't put him on much of a hand and even if he did call I probably be a favorite...was a little surprised that he flipped over pocket 10's.

**itsMrHankey2u** · 02-09-2005

just as a sidenote, playing heads up the dealer should be the small blind.

**mxp2004** · 02-09-2005

I generally agree with your approach for playing against a passive player heads up. However, I have a couple of suggestions.

First, you have to recognize that your aggressive play can set you up for exactly what happened here. Whenever I run into a really aggressive player, I try to trap him with my strong hands by feigning weakness. Having my opponent come back over the top of me or push in is exactly what I want him to do. Thus, you have to mix up your play a little and not automatically go on a full throttle attack every time that your opponent limps.

Second, whether moving all in here before the flop with A3 was a good move or not depends, among other things, on the size of your stack relative to the blinds. You can't forget that your the short stack here, and his call can result in you being out of the game. While your A is a good card and would probably put you in the lead if his hand was unpaired (that is, unless he was playing A4 or better), you can't rely on your 3 being a live card after the flop. In other words, if he has two, unpaired overcards to your 3, it doesn't matter whether you hit the 3 on the flop or not: he's going to win the hand if he catches a piece of the board at any time, unless you hit your A.

My point is that, even heads up, A3 is not an incredibly strong hand. I don't see a need for you to move all in pre-flop with this hand if your stack size is large enough relative to the blinds that you can avoid playing in "all in or nothing" mode.

**Cleveland OH B&M** · 02-09-2005

IMO, U were playing right. Put pressure on him almost every hand BUT leave your self a out.

Whit that said, u were grinding him down, when last hand came up.

Him in sb u BB/Dealer, He JUST compleats SB, DID U raise with your Ax?? You should of.. If he calls Raise them PROCEED with care!!! Once Flop Hit and u have BOTTOM pair, He CKed?? U went all-in??
A Smaller bet does same thing(him fold) if he missed flop with a OUT if he reraises. If he calls SLOW DOWN!!!

Heads up VS a passive player should/IS a cakewalk!!

**puddlejumper** · 02-09-2005

Originally Posted by itsMrHankey2u

just as a sidenote, playing heads up the dealer should be the small blind.

How does that work? If you are the dealer shouldn't you always act last and thus be the BB?

Yeah I agree that A3 wasn't the best hand to move-in with, but I needed to do something (cause I needed a thing called sleep, early morning the next day), because I probably could have nickle and dimed him till he was dead broke, but I didn't have that kind of time. If this was more than our weekly thing I probably would have just raised instead of moving all-in.

**Beavis68** · 02-09-2005

the BB is always the last to act PF, and the first to act post-flop.

**Jack King off** · 02-09-2005

fold pf

bet flop

follow through on turn... im sure he knows that turn helped you lol

**coash** · 02-12-2005

what about what's his face against paul philips at bellagio for WPT....about 6 consecutive all ins before philips busted him with 77

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