Best Heads Up stategy Against Weak players

**Cambo71** · 10-22-2009 06:52 AM

What is the best heads up strategy against weak players.
Once again I expect you guys to disagree with me.

A. Small Ball - very few preflop raises limping most of time. Then minbetting the flop from both postions about 80% of time.
This exploits opponent folding too often after flop with minimal risk.
Note- to use this strategy your opponent most cooperate and limp most of the time. It is assumed this strategy will be quickly given up against aggressive opponents who don't cooperate.

B. Position Minraise -limp with bb and min raise with the button with the sb 80 to 100% of the time.
This exploits opponents who fold too many hands preflop and also allows you to play bigger pots in position.

C. Varied Raises - This strategy will mix limps with raise from 2x to 4x.
This exploits your opponents by mixing up your game and keeping them guessing and off balanced. This strategy is the least rigid and assumes you can adjust to your specific opponents weaknesses.

**ThrillCory90** · 10-22-2009 07:06 AM

I don't like A.

Limping always sucks IMO unless somebody is 3betting you 50% of the time or something.

This exploits opponent folding too often after flop

I don't agree with this because 95% of players fold to little IMO.

I like B in most HU SNG's and at the end of tournaments.

**Cambo71** · 10-22-2009 07:18 AM

I LOVE option A. If I am a 3 to 1 dog in chips with 20bb left I think I am a favortite over an opponent who lets me use this style. I pound them to death before they adjust. Often times they react to this by going all in, they do not know how to deal with my post flop aggression. My opponent folds too much to my limp continuation bet. This lets me steal the blinds post flop with the least risk. This also lets me outplay my opponents postflop.
If I have the chip lead and my opponents start raising then I can trap them with good hands and then reraise them.

I think this gives me the least variance to beat my opponents.

Of course I quickly give up this strategy against aggressive opponents. Against them I might likely use C most. But with this type of opponent I will gage my strategy on my specific opponent.

**Cambo71** · 10-22-2009 07:20 AM

Also this question does not just cover heads up sngs it could be reg 9s or 45s. Turbo nines heads up are probably mostly shove fests.

**ThrillCory90** · 10-22-2009 07:34 AM

Limping is weak

**occams raisor** · 10-22-2009 08:39 AM

If you are talking about weak players I can def give some insight. I've played ~4k $3 90 mans and you really need to get a read on what these guys like to do h/u.

Some players will let you limp all day, bet 40% any flop and fold 95% of the time. Some players just shove and others raise every button. Heads up, imo is so opponent dependent that I don't really think there is a best approach especially against weak/bad players.

Against better, thinking players, limping is likely not going to work.

**ThrillCory90** · 10-22-2009 09:25 AM

Limping the button sucks against any opponent except the most maniacle of opponents regardless of how good or bad they are and for just about any stacksize.

When you minraise your opponent only needs to fold 50% of the time for it to be profitable in a vacuum even if you check-folded postflop no matter what. In reality if your opponent is calling 50% of the time or more preflop he is playing waaaayyy too lose OOP and making such a costly mistake that you should be minraising just to give him the opportunity to play bad and spew chips.

exploits opponent folding too often after flop with minimal risk.

This doesn't make sense. A good Taggish player is going to be folding preflop to a raise 40% of the time or less preflop anyways (if they are not folding then they are making such bad mistakes preflop that will compound postflop that not raising pre is criminal). So if 60~70% of the hands you see you woulda folded preflop anyways, and maybe another 10%-15% they woulda called preflop and check-folded the flop while losing 2bbs, they have no problem seeing a free flop and giving up on the pot a good 80% of the time. They are losing less money than if you were aggro from the button.

Limping suckssss!!!!

**Vestvik7** · 10-22-2009 10:19 AM

Ill give my left leg to get postflopp with 90% of the 26$ 45 field..

**Acesfull1026** · 10-22-2009 05:20 PM

I think it depends on how many blinds you have. Im assuming we are talking strictly about tournament play? If it were cash games and Im playing a weak opponent, Im never min/raising. I prefer to build the pot preflop since they will be calling with a wide range, and I am very likely to outplay them postflop and build the pot faster when i hit my monsters.

In tournaments, I dont mind min/raising as much even tho it may drag out the game. It doesnt really work for my style though.

**Cambo71** · 10-23-2009 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by occams raisor

Some players will let you limp all day, bet 40% any flop and fold 95% of the time. Some players just shove and others raise every button. Heads up, imo is so opponent dependent that I don't really think there is a best approach especially against weak/bad players.

Yes I would have to agree all heads up is player dependent, but if my opponents let me limp and fold over 50% to my continuation bets. It lets me win the blinds with the smallest price. The reason I dont like option minraise if my limp is working is that I must bet more to win the pot after i get called.

It is very easy to exploit my limp strategy, by just raises me, but my opponent cooperate too much I like to start with small ball first. Three handed on the button I always raise if I enter a pot.