Tag Archives: draw

Problem on Heads Up

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Hi,

I believe I’m doing good in home tournaments that me and my friends have every week. In fact, I usually belong to the final 3 players. However, I feel that I’m into trouble when with regards to dealing with heads up.

Well, most of the time my opponent raises and I don’t have the top pair, I just can’t call. I hate when this happens as I’m not working on the right track.

On the good side, I’m doing relatively good when it comes to trapping. I can earn a lot of chips because of successfully trapping down a player.

My question now is, how do you play heads up? Is there any strategy I need to know and eventually master?

Thank you so much!

Sigmund Karlsen
Sigmund,

You need to play a little looser heads up. Try and see a lot of cheap flops with various hands and punish them when you connect. Don’t just call down with top pair. Sometimes middle and even bottom pair are just as good. Don’t be afraid to draw a little more.

About My Mistake

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Hey there!

In a tourney with a thousand of players, I had 12K in chips and blinds were up at 200/400. Being the first one to act, I called. By the way I had AQ then. Quite disturbing, nobody raised. There were four players keenly observing who saw the flop actually.

Flop then came and was Jd Kd Kc. Other two players checked while the other one placed 800 bet. Except from me, everyone else’s folded. Because I felt like gambling more, I called and then hit the 10 of spades thus giving me a straight. One of the other players then placed 1600 bet and then I raised to 4K. Later, he called.

River then came and was 9. He then opted to check. Afterwards, I decided to bet 1600 and so he went all in. Then I called, but I discovered he had a full house, Kings over nines and so I was busted out.

Now, I’m curious if after the turn I should have decided to go all in, considering he might not actually call pre flop with K J, and he may have with K 10. What do you think? Also, I think it was so foolish of me, though I knew he had a K, I still gave him another card that may complete his full house. However, I also thought that maybe it was not foolishness, I was just unlucky perhaps. The result would have been the same if he called all in on the turn with K9 back then.

But still I was thinking, where did I went wrong? At what point? At not raising pre flop? Or else calling his 800 bet after the flop and drawing to a hand against a tall stack?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you very much!

Lockett Zubak
Lockett,

You were in early position with A-Q. That is not necessarily a raising hand. Some do, I tend not to unless I haven’t played in a bit. On the flop, you had a gutshot straight. You really did not have proper odds to draw to the straight, but you did and hit.

After the flop, I don’t think you opponent is going to fold. He flopped a set. Since you didn’t raise, he has no reason to put you on a king, and even if he did, I still doubt he would fold.

I think that after the flop, you just got unlucky. You sucked out on the turn, and he resucked out on the river.

Casino Tournament

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Hello,

Just last week, I got the chance to play my first ever casino tournament. Honestly, I wasn’t that sure of all the moves, decisions, etc. I pushed through so I want to hear straight from you. Consider the following facts:

  • Was third round of no limit texas holdem tournament
  • Blinds $10/$20 and for every 15 minutes will be doubled
  • $200 was my starting chip stack
  • $300 my present chip stack

Blinds were moving fast and I’ve foreseen that they’ll become a large proportion of my stack. I believe I have played just right as I have already won some pots though just small pots actually. Of course, when I only have $300 or more in chips, I don’t want blinds to go up, specifically to the $100 mark.

In second position, I was dealt pocket Jacks, UTG then folded. Later, I raised to $60 then except for the button who called, everyone else folded. Slowly, I started gathering some readings on my mind about a certain player whom I believe was my opponent.

Eventually, flop came and was Q-6-2. Then I placed $60 as my bet and he raised to $150. Afterwards I re-raised all-in due to some reasons. First, I believe he was a bit of a pot stealer and that he didn’t had a queen or a set. Second, almost half of my chips were in the pot already, it would be difficult for me to go on in the event I fold. Third, he would have folded already if he was on a steal. Fourth, quite the same thing, he would have called in case he was on draw.

What’s on your thoughts? If you were on my shoes at such situation, will you do the same thing?

I know you’re the one who could help me. Thanks in advance.

Andre Boudrias
Andre,

You were in a tournament that offered a small amount of chips and a very high blind structure. After betting on the turn, you had 120 of your 300 in the pot. If you folded here, you would have lost nearly half of your stack. After raising to 150, you had to call 90 in a pot of 330, which is 3.5 to 1 on your money. If you call here, you are going to be pot committed. Your choices are really go all-in or fold.

With the bad structure of this tournament, I would have pushed and hoped that the player did not have a queen, although it was likely. In a tournament with a bad structure, you must get lucky early and get some chips. To do so, you either have to play like a maniac and get lucky, or push your big hands as hard as you can.