06-16-05, LearnTexasHoldem:

Trouble Against A Wild Player Heads Up

Question: I have a question that has been happening to me often.In the last couple of days, this has happened to me probably 75% of the heads up matches I have been in. I will usually be in those heads up tournements, and I am the aggressor in the beginning. He folds often, which makes me believe he is a tight player or he is trying to understand how often I raise, check, etc.

I am feeling confident, and then all of a sudden he turns around maybe 5 min into the match. He starts raising almost all hands preflop, and bets on flop and turn if I just call. Maybe I will win 1 in 5 hands, because I raise, or call down and win with high card, but he will take over and I don't know what to do. And these aren't small raises either. if the blinds are 15/30, it will be a 3x BB preflop raise, and usually pot size bet on flop, which in heads up, can be your whole stack in a few min.

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So yesterday I tried to bully him even more. I checkraised him with high card A on the flop. He just calls and checks all the way, and I won the pot. I did this a couple times winning with high cards or low pairs. Then all of a sudden....he turned gears again. every time I check raised, he would raise me about 3/4 of my stack... Now thats alot for him and me, and when I have high card or low pair, its a hard decision. But he does this every hand I raise, and he takes over again. I don't want to call unless I have top pair or something good, which will not happen for a while. I don't want to risk my stack on high cards, however I know he has nothing half the time. And the blinds quickly eat me away.

What can I do to take control and learn how to play against a wild person who plays like that. Thanks

Answer: How I would play depends on the size of the blinds compared to my stack. Having a slow increase in the blinds gives you more play time and let's you pick your spots more. If you are faced with huge blinds, you're just going to have to gamble with him. Given that you have enough time, I would start out playing like you normally do -- bet some hands, be the aggressor. You're doing this to set him up later.

Now when he switches gears and starts playing the aggressor role, wait to trap him. You mentioned that you check raised him on the flop, bet the turn and river and he called both before losing. If he is that loose, just wait. Let him continue feeling like he is in control by giving him some small pots, then chop off one of his legs in a big pot. Overly aggressive players will eventually hang themselves because they run into good hands. If you have enough time, and you are focused, you will easily beat him. Wait for a big hand like top pair (don't give as much value to preflop cards, you want to hit a pair on the flop in heads up games), then see if you can bet in a way that gets most of his chips.

If you notice that after you beat him for a bunch of chips he is slowing down (raising and betting less), then you can bet a little more aggressively. Also, try to minimize the amount of chips in the pot when you don't have a big hand. Play small pots with small hands (even if you go to the river), and big pots with big hands. He won't be making that same distinction. Last but not least, remember being on the button has huge advantages heads up as you can make more on your good hands and lose less on your bad hands.

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