03- 2-05, LearnTexasHoldem:
Heads Up Against Aggressive Players
DJZ
Top 3 Beginner Rooms
Answer: Before I get into heads up play, let me mention a few general points about playing against aggressive players. You wrote that a conservative style (solid playing hands) is the best way to combat them at a full table. I would agree that this is the safest way to play against aggressive players but with less risk you also don't get as much in return. The safe approach is fine but let me also give another angle.
By definition, someone who is overly aggressive is betting with hands that aren't as strong as the hands dictate. That is a weakness. And if you know that this player is constantly making big bets with bad hands, what would make more money in the end, to avoid him without the nuts, or to try to lower your hand strength too -- just so it is above his - - and get in the mix? When players are making gross errors, you want to do your best to play as many hands as you can with them. You can't go overboard or you too will turn into a loose player, but there is no reason to fold some hands preflop and on the flop that, if put into this context, are likely winners.
For example, you may fold a hand like AT against another person's raise preflop but against a loose aggro player, this would seem to be a big favorite. Likewise, you may fold second pair, middle pair or even bottom pair against a solid player's bet but against the loose aggressive player, you might pull a pot by calling. So the first tip I can give how to better play against aggression is to put their play in context when you pick your starting hands.
The next point is that sometimes it is ok to just call people down -- you don't always have to fight fire with fire. Often times the philosophy I take in hands against very aggressive players (or even solid players) is that if I just call a hand they might still keep betting a worse hand but if I raise, they might fold a worse hand and then reraise a better one. For example, if I were to have A9 against an aggressive player and the flop was Q - 9 - 4, I probably would just call him down and bet if he checked.
Sure a check raise charges him more money if he is behind but it also gives him an opportunity to reraise me if he likes the hand, bluff and charge me more, or make an easy fold. I find that it is easier to beat people by trying to work with them to magnify their errors. In the aggressive player's case, his error is to put more money in with the worst hand; I will go with the grain and try to get him to do this more. I won't try to overpower him.
When you play heads up against someone, poker is at its purest form. It is much more of a mind game than playing at a full table. You'll be playing tons of hands against the same person so much of what you do is not only for winning the current hand but also to set you up better for later hands. When you play against someone heads up you'll notice trends in what they do.
For example, the person might raise their button every hand and then bet the flop religiously, but what do they do on the turn card if you call the flop bet? Do they only bet when they have something? And if so, how much do they have to have to bet? Do they keep betting if you just call? Do the always bet when you check? Do they bet Ace highs? Do they ever check raise bluff? Do they bluff with Ace high?
See eventually you'll be able to pick up on people's habits and betting rhythm. Once you do, you'll have more information to work with and beating them won't be as hard. You'll do setups and win a little more from them then they took from you. It goes back and forth, back and forth until eventually someone makes a few errors that they can't come back from.
How I play against someone heads up depends solely on how they play against me. For every hole they have in their game, I try to exploit it. If someone is too tight for heads up play, I push more hands against them making them flop something to win. On the other hand if the guy is super aggressive, I'll change my style to a more calling passive one. I usually still play aggressive when I have the button but I don't think those hands are the ones that I end up winning because of.
It is his hands that I win by, when his error is most expressed. Remember his error is to bet regardless of what he has. So to counter that style, you call more -- much more. How much you call will be determined by how aggressive and loose his is. If he is raising every hand, which isn't uncommon, you'll need to call just about every one as well. If he bets every pot on the flop, you'll need to call much more. You can't just give him every pot.
You cannot let him win by just betting. And what I'll do a lot is to just call him on the flop with just about any reasonable hand, and then if I miss the turn card too (don't pair up), I'll just dump the pot to him. (Exceptions might be if I have an Ace high hand that I assume is good.) This gives him the impression that his aggressive style is working which keeps him doing it. Then when I do actually have a hand I can call him down with, I'll call both the turn and river; that isn't to say I never put in a raise.
The problem he ends up facing when you take this approach is that he has to commit a big bet (regardless of whether it s no limit or limit holdem) on the turn card to find out if I have anything. If I do have something, I'll win everything he has put in, probably plus a river bet while in his case if he wins it will most likely just be my preflop and flop bet. And if occasionally you check raise him on the flop and turn as bluffs, or bet out, it makes it very hard for him to play well against you. He will resort to even more aggression -- which is what you like -- and you'll get him.
Let me finish up by giving some concrete tips because up to this point, I think most of what I've written sounds kind of like theory. Hand strength, both preflop and on the flop, goes way down when you have two people playing every hand against one another. Sit down sometime with a deck of cards and deal two hands. Do it over and over and see what they have at the river.
You'll notice that having any pair is usually a winner and a good amount of times a high card wins. Put this information in the context of an aggressive player who raises and bets every hand, he couldn't possibly have great hands every time. The more experience you have playing heads up, the more confidence you'll have in your cards when they don't seem to be that great (like bottom pair).
Also, things like odds lose all their values when you are heads up against a betting machine. A hand like a gutshot draw may have more than 4 outs, it may also have outs for the two cards you are holding. An Ace high hand may not need to catch an Ace to win, it might only need to catch your kicker or nothing at all.
Last thing, practice. A bunch of online sites have mirco limits. Play heads up for nickels and quarters and try some different styles. Nothing I write here can replace time behind the table.
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