Poker-Strategy 101: David Williams - Pot Size, Position & The Power Of A Pair

03.08.2008, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Poker-Strategy 101: David Williams - Pot Size, Position & The Power Of A Pair».

Heads-up strategy II: Three more essential tips for one-on-one poker by WSOP Bracelet Winner David Williams.

IN MY LAST ARTICLE, WE TALKED ABOUT heads-up No-Limit strategy in conjunction with my preparation for the NBC Heads-Up Championship. We discussed misconceptions about how easy the strategies for heads-up might look on paper, but how hard they actually are to implement.

This time, I’d like to discuss three more tips related to heads-up play. These strategy adjustments, coupled with the more basic tips of the last article, should get you ready to hold your own in a heads-up match, where psychological warfare really begins to take shape.

The first thing I would like to talk about is trapping in heads-up play, since trapping in a heads-up hand is very different from regular ring game play. In a nine- or 10- handed poker game, the hands that you trap with have to be much stronger than a hand you would trap with in a heads-up poker game. Let’s look at an example:

You have K-Q offsuit out of position pre-flop, and you raise. You’re called by the button, and you see a flop of Q-10-6 and you’re first to act. Checking here would be a bad move, as your vulnerable top pair needs to be protected from giving people free draws at a straight, or opponents catching an ace on the turn, since a hand containing an ace is likely in a full ring game. In a full ring game, top pair is a hand that you want to win the pot with right away, before you give opponents the chance to catch up.

Now let’s look at this same hand, but apply it to heads-up play. You raise from the big blind heads-up, and the button/small blind calls. The flop comes down the same, Q-10-6, and you are the first to act. There is still a straight draw possible. An ace can still come off on the turn, but checking to let your opponent see another card isn’t that bad of a plan here.

What’s the difference?

It’s hard to make a pair—you only connect with the flop about a third of the time—and when you connect with top pair in heads-up play, it’s a monster. You want to feign weakness so that your opponent might either bluff the turn, or pick up a little something to match his hand so he can call you on the river. It’s safe to try and act weak to gain extra bets later in the hand.

Another consideration in heads-up play is position. In heads-up play, the big blind will be out of position for the whole hand, except for pre-flop play. This gives the small blind a huge advantage. You’ll be at the disadvantage of being out of position the rest of the hand, and you’ll need to raise more pre-flop to make sure you won’t have to make too many difficult decisions on later streets. You want to either end the hand preflop, or end it with a solid continuation bet on the flop should your opponent call your pre-flop bet. I’d suggest a range of three-to-five big blinds. You should also take into account your opponent’s style, because as always, each poker situation is unique to whom you’re playing against. If you are playing against an opponent who frequently calls your raises no matter how big or small, then it is more worth it to just let him do the heavy betting when you have a hand you want to play.

The final tip I’d like to touch on is heads-up poker pot control. Chipping away at an opponent in heads-up is the strategy that most pros like to use. Being aggressive enough to raise pre-flop on the button with a wide range of hands, but then continuation betting, betting out small, or even check-calling keeps the pot in your control and also keeps the pot small.

If you have played enough heads-up, you will really start to develop a sense for when your opponent has something or not. I think heads-up poker is the fastest road to learning to read your opponents, and in doing so, your post-flop play will begin to get better.

With better post-flop play, you want to keep the pots small. Since your skill advantage is superior, you don’t need to get into big confrontations unless you have the goods.

In heads-up poker, it is difficult sometimes to control pot size, as often times you’ll run into the player who has heard that aggressive play is the only way to win heads-up poker. While it is a strong strategy, it’s often misinterpreted to mean that you should try to bulldoze over people, which is not the case. If you can just take more pots than your opponent when you both have nothing, then you have a cushion for the pots that will turn into big confrontations. This way, if you lose that pot, you’re not out of the game just yet, and if you win, then you’ve broke your opponent.

Remember, heads-up poker is just as much about your opponent as it is about your cards. Once you gain a feel for what he is trying to do, counterattack and the chips will fall your way.

This article brought to you by Bodog nation. Play with pros David Williams, Josh Arieh, and Evelyn Ng at BodogLife.com.

KEY HEADS-UP WISDOM 1. Top pair is usually a trapping hand 2. Out of position, end hands quickly 3. Winning the small pots is vital

All In Magazin

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