My Cow That Craps Golden Eggs

[SmackinYaUp]

Watup everyone! I was playing on RVP last night and decided to play some 2-max (1 vs 1) .25/.50 NL tables and had a blast. I sat down with 50 bucks, took 25 from one guy within half an hour and then proceeded to lose it all really fast to a good aggressive player who just had me guessing the whole time - I was constantly folding to his bets and only calling when he had me beat. I was able to trap him a few times with his own strategy by simply calling down but these few times did not make up my losses to him at all.

Anyways (besides the guy I mentioned above) I noticed most of the players were allowing me to complete my draws to my heart's content with pitiful weak bets, folding to my top-pair pot-sized bets, and bluffing big into my complete flushes!

I realized that huge amounts of money can be made off of people at these limits in short time - especially when you get them short-stacked at the table.

This 1 vs 1 low-stakes setup has not been discussed to any major extent on any of the poker forums that I read (except for a few hand histories here and there). If someone could develop a halfway decent strategy for these low stakes games it would be no problem to dominate them - especially considering the fact that there is not much strategy for these tables for everyone (and their dog) to read up on and that so many of the players are short stacked action junkies.

I wish I had the bankroll to experiment more with this, but I cant afford $50 buy-ins at this time.

My new goal is to bonuswhore full ring NL games until I can afford it, and more importantly, not play with scared money.

Any of you shorthanded NL players care to offer any advice?
What kind of notes do you keep on players?
It was difficult to get many meaningful notes beyond "passive" or "TAG" because few pots were won with showdowns

[RHCNNN]

I've played with you on RVP before. Same name as this one. I brought my free $10 up to $45 before losing a couple of hands and tilting off the rest. I need to really work on getting control of my frustration...
but I digress....
hope you are doing good on there

[SmackinYaUp]

Yes I believe I remember playing with you on there as well. My time on there WAS good and I built the $10 up to $130 but got bored, decided to try some other limits and things (such as 1vs1 NL) that I really couldnt afford so ended up losing my stake as well lol. But, its been a good learning experience, I know I can hold my own in the small stakes NL games and will now bonuswhore with my own hard earned money - its going to be a grind.

Since you tilted off your money, what do you do pokerwise now?

[Greedo017]

i could use some help in this area too. usually if a table i'm playing at drops below 5-6 i leave, but i've started staying lately, i figure i gotta learn sometime how to play shorthanded.

I usually get overaggressive in situations like these. i'm still fine tuning it but i find with 2-3 people, you can make decent money just raising anything worth its weight in piss. I mean, fold sometimes if you're not a blind, but you usually can tell when someone is just going to fold fold fold. it makes you a few blinds to weather the times when the other guy catches cards and you fold your raise. Usually,

Usually when i go all-in with the nut flush, i don't get called by a full house, damn.

anyway, usually things unfold a lot like you experienced. the other people will fold most of the time, or call so timidly, and just fold on a flop reraise, or they're beat by me anyway and will lose a lot.

[Autocratic]

RVP's free $10 drove me nuts. I worked it up to over $100, but I never really felt like it was my money, and after a few bad beats I tilted the rest of it away.

[johnnyawe]

Here is a decent strategy. First, try to get dealt KK on the first hand. Once this happens, raise preflop, and then don't be surprised if he comes in for a big reraise, trying to represent AA. In this situation, don't just call, because that would give him a chance outdraw you. So instead of calling, think about folding for a little while, and then go ahead and push all-in. Don't worry, he will fold. This way, you will have put a huge dent in his stack on the very first hand, effectively chopping his legs out from under him, which will give you the edge through the rest of the way.

[FishMagician]

Then, later on, flop the nut straight and slow-play it all the way. He will probably splash his whole stack in there and you can take him down.

-Fishmagician

[SmackinYaUp]

well thanks, it usually does help to get KK first hand

[ilikeaces86]

That works every time

[RHCNNN]

well I've bought in a few times online... and came up a couple of hundred, cashed out some profit and lost the rest. I play with my friends still, $10 ring or tourney home games. But I'll probably buy in at ultimate bet again pretty soon.... hopefully can play w/u again sometime... good luck man

[SmackinYaUp]

Yea Im sure we will run across the same tables again sometime, Ultimate Bet has been my favorite site so far, but is lacking in the bonus department at the moment...but beyond that...

Does anyone have any serious input for me?

If I wanted a bunch of jokes I would have made the post at twoplustwo or bastardclowns.com

[Phew72]

Try this link to the UltimateBet website:
http://www.ultimatebet.com/learn-pok...ournament.html

It includes a series of articles by John Vorhaus (whoever he is, someone please feel free to enlighten me) dedicated to heads-up texas hold'em play.

"Matchplay for fun and profit..." (parts 1 through 10).

I haven't had much chance to put all his tips into practice. Let us know how get on.

Cheers, Phew.

[r8ed]

Here are some tips that helped me win 5 out of 6 heads up (this was sitNgo though - we did not start off equal).

Be the aggressor:

1. If they are BB don't let them see a flop without paying double the BB or more.
2. If you are BB and they call, make them pay double BB or more.
3. Any time they check, raise 3/4 or full pot.
4. If the above gives you a stack advantage, they will get mad and desperate and try to do the same to you. Wait until you get an Ax or PP and put them all-in if they didn't do that themselves.
5. If they reraise you and you don't have anything, then fold. They will eventually catch on, try to bluff raise you, and if you have Ax or PP put them all-in.
6. You can be more patient with the bigger stack so don't fall for the first all-in if you don't have the goods.

It's easier for sitNgo's because I already know I'm in the money but this should work for heads up regardless.

[Waggho]

My guess would be that the swings are HUGH in 1-1 games, and that could easily make you believe that you have found an incredible way to make money when you´re on an upswing. But a buy-in could be lost much faster than in a 10 person ring game. Imagine what a week of horrible cards could to to your bankroll...

[SmackinYaUp]

Yup I understand that the swings will be greater, but on the other hand, imagine what a week of great cards will do for your br. Actually, come to think of it, playing heads up doesnt require great cards, just great plays...not that Im an expert or anything but it seems to make sense

[johnnyawe]

Then, later on, flop the nut straight and slow-play it all the way. He will probably splash his whole stack in there and you can take him down.

-Fishmagician

[SmackinYaUp]

Then, later on, flop the nut straight and slow-play it all the way. He will probably splash his whole stack in there and you can take him down.

-Fishmagician

JohnnyAweI should have known from that clown in your avatar that I wouldnt get a straight answer from you. Jus kiddin - hope it really isnt you.

I appreciate the responses though, and yea I did read that 1vs1 thing on UB a while ago but had forgotten about it. Didnt they say to just wait until you have the goods to bet? I see more aggression taking place - ie bluffing, semi-bluffing, info-probes

[johnnyawe]

JohnnyAweI should have known from that clown in your avatar that I wouldnt get a straight answer from you. Jus kiddin - hope it really isnt you.

It's me. 8-)

[a500lbgorilla]

JohnnyAweI should have known from that clown in your avatar that I wouldnt get a straight answer from you. Jus kiddin - hope it really isnt you.

It's me. 8-)

Ouch...

I'm sure the have surgeory that could fix that. All of that. :P

-'rilla