I made it to heads up in a $10 SNG on PS last night. I had a great read on my opponent. He was the type of player who constantly overbet the nuts. He was fortunate enough to have others call him a few times and basically hand over their stacks to him. I knew not to mix it up with him, and it served me well.

We got to heads up at about 8K for him and 5K for me. I tried bullying him around, and he started going all in very frequently. My early read had me folding a few hands before I realized that he was no longer pushing the nuts...he was now pushing too frequently for that to be the case.

I decided to make a stand instead of being blinded away.

Blinds were 200/400. Still about 5K/8K split with him in lead. I am on button and raise to 800. He pushes all in. After thinking about it I called, putting him on any 2 cards, but figuring him for at least one paint and maybe an Ace. He turned over K 8 suited.

My original happiness turned to horror when he flopped K 8 X.

My question is this........Was I correct to simply make a stand once I had a decent hand? Should I have tried another strategy? I knew that at best I was in for a race, but really found myself hamstrung playing against this guy.

In sit and gos I usually just gamble with these guys, calling their all ins with any A or going all in before them with any K or A or pair or even crap half the time. You can't afford to wait for hands in sit and gos unless the field all got crushed real early.

Originally Posted by Antneye

I made it to heads up in a $10 SNG on PS last night. I had a great read on my opponent. He was the type of player who constantly overbet the nuts. He was fortunate enough to have others call him a few times and basically hand over their stacks to him. I knew not to mix it up with him, and it served me well.

We got to heads up at about 8K for him and 5K for me. I tried bullying him around, and he started going all in very frequently. My early read had me folding a few hands before I realized that he was no longer pushing the nuts...he was now pushing too frequently for that to be the case.

I decided to make a stand instead of being blinded away.

Blinds were 200/400. Still about 5K/8K split with him in lead. I am on button and raise to 800. He pushes all in. After thinking about it I called, putting him on any 2 cards, but figuring him for at least one paint and maybe an Ace. He turned over K 8 suited.

My original happiness turned to horror when he flopped K 8 X.

My question is this........Was I correct to simply make a stand once I had a decent hand? Should I have tried another strategy? I knew that at best I was in for a race, but really found myself hamstrung playing against this guy.

Head to head with a guy like this is tough for anyone and yes you eventually have to take a stand - the question becomes when. The whole idea behind his strategy is to keep you under pressure by having to make tough decisions and chip away at your stack making your decisions harder and harder. Although I like to employ this strategy when I have the chip lead I usually don't do it with All-ins but with bets large enough to hurt - a 1/3 to 1/2 of the oppenents stack until I have them down to about 20 - 25% of my stack then I will commit them to all-in every chance I can. I only fold if I get a lousy hand, limp or call with weaker moderate hands and seldom as possible.

When I am on the recieving end, I start to limp in with hands I think I can play and start folding those I don't want to risk an all in attack with. I'm waiting for very good hand with 2 high cards (9 or better and hopfully connected) or any pair - which is also brought in with a limp. Don't give the aggressor a read on your hand by coming in stronger - always limp, wait for his raise and then call or go all-in if he hasn't put you all-in already. Usually catching the aggressor only once is enough for him to slow down since catching him twice often means he will be out or close to it. Of course once you have the chip advantage, its your turn to be the aggressor and put the pressure on him!

In head to head play so much depends on the luck of the draw and who is getting the cards. The ability to take a stand with good cards isn't so tough but to take a stand with moderate or only one good card takes courage and timing. If your down to 20-25% of the oppenents stack you're in big trouble and have fewer opportunites to pick and choose the hands you can take your stand with and the blinds are so big you end up going with anything you get. But as all 2nd placers say - "That's poker!"

Thanks. After a good run at head to Head I seem to be running into guys like this all the time, and just hate the whole coin flip aspect they bring to the game. I think the adjustment I need to make is to throw their game right back at them and start shoving my chips in when I am on the button. Put them on the defensive...it's so much easier to be the pusher than the pushee...if ya know what I mean.

I ran into another one of these heads up maniacs tonight. He was loose aggressive throughout the tourney and as soon as we got to heads up he started pushing 3 out of 4 hands or so. I had crap the whole time, and saw my chip lead go from about 2K down to about 1000 down.

I was going to turn it around on him and push 1st as I said earlier in this thread, but never had anything close to being able to do it. Finally I am in BB and get A 4 off. He pushed again, and I just knew the odds were that he was holding nothing.

I call......he turns over 33. Couldn't believe it. I finally make a stand and the guy has a PP. I was so damn pissed.............until my Ace came on the river........major suckout...it was great.

This left him with ~1000 chips and the blinds were at 200/400. Next hand with him in BB I raised him all in with J4. Assumed he'd be on tilt, and might call me with any 2 cards......He calls and tunrs over J 3. I am still laughing. Served the guy right for turning the game into a coinflip.

It was SWEET