Online Poker Strategy Articles

HU Holdem Part III: Jon Eaton

Last week I analyzed my first three matches en route to my victory in the $20 heads-up matches on PokerStars.com. This week I'll look at matches four through six and give some more advice for playing NLHE heads up.

In match four, I had run a lot of bluffs and had been caught a few times red handed. I started off with an early lead but through those bluffs we were back to even pretty quickly. Then on this bad bluff, I ran my stack down to almost a two-to-one disadvantage.

Seat 1: sketchy1 (11520 in chips)
Seat 2: frankyj34 (12480 in chips)
frankyj34: posts small blind 80
sketchy1: posts big blind 160
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sketchy1 [Qc 4d]
frankyj34: raises 160 to 320
sketchy1: calls 160

This was really my first mistake. Up until this point, I had never put many chips in the pot out of position with a terrible holding. Why I decided to do so now, when I had been called down with so many bluffs already is beyond me.

*** FLOP *** [8s Th 8d]
sketchy1: checks
frankyj34: bets 320
sketchy1: calls 320

My goal was obvious here. I wanted to check-raise the turn to represent an eight. I should have realized I couldn't get away with this after the aggression I'd shown already with no hand no draw.

*** TURN *** [8s Th 8d] [Kd]
sketchy1: checks
frankyj34: bets 480
sketchy1: raises 800 to 1280
frankyj34: calls 800
*** RIVER *** [8s Th 8d Kd] [7c]
sketchy1: bets 2240
frankyj34: calls 2240
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sketchy1: shows [Qc 4d] (a pair of Eights)
frankyj34: shows [Js Tc] (two pair, Tens and Eights)
frankyj34 collected 8320 from pot

The only redeeming thing here is that I will now get some action almost no matter what my hand is when I actually hit a flop. I was excited about that prospect, but upset I was short stacked already.

Seat 1: sketchy1 (8160 in chips)
Seat 2: frankyj34 (15840 in chips)
sketchy1: posts small blind 80
frankyj34: posts big blind 160
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sketchy1 [8h 6d]
sketchy1: calls 80
frankyj34: checks
*** FLOP *** [6c 8d Jd]
frankyj34: checks
sketchy1: bets 320
frankyj34: folds
sketchy1 collected 320 from pot
sketchy1: doesn't show hand

So much for that theory! I didn't like checking this hand though, because I had been so aggressive up till now, I should just keep up the aggression and hope he hit the flop. An interesting thought here is that I was actually guaranteed to either lose my stack or win a small pot. My opponent wasn't going to check top pair here, but he would check a big hand to me.

I made a few big hands, but instead of betting them, I kept checking them. In retrospect, I was actually to win this one, with how poorly I played.

One move I made in this match and others is the big re-raise pre-flop and a big bet on the flop when I completely missed it. One thing about heads-up play is whenever someone calls your re-raise, unless they're trapping with aces or another big pair, they almost never have a pair. Therefore, whenever the flop is completely ugly, you should lead out again no matter what your hand is. Your opponent probably missed it, unless they took a lot of heat with something like ace-rag.

Finally I retook the chip lead when I made a big play at a pot with K8. I raised my opponent on the button who just limped, bet the QT8 flop, and checked the 6 on the turn. On the river I made trips and lead for a big bet, and they called--with 33! I had apparently set them up with enough bluffs that they thought 33 was good and called a big river bet.

Finally I ended this match, and moved on to the next round.

Seat 1: sketchy1 (16240 in chips)
Seat 2: frankyj34 (7760 in chips)
frankyj34: posts small blind 200
sketchy1: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sketchy1 [Kh 5s]
frankyj34: raises 400 to 800
sketchy1: calls 400
*** FLOP *** [2c Ks 5h]
sketchy1: checks
frankyj34: bets 800
sketchy1: raises 1200 to 2000
frankyj34: raises 2000 to 4000
sketchy1: raises 9600 to 13600
frankyj34: calls 2960 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [2c Ks 5h] [Qs]
*** RIVER *** [2c Ks 5h Qs] [8h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sketchy1: shows [Kh 5s] (two pair, Kings and Fives)
frankyj34: shows [Kc Js] (a pair of Kings)
sketchy1 collected 15520 from pot

My next match wasn't much to talk about. How they made it as far as they did was a mystery to me. I took a quick chip lead with top pair against just ace high, then won another pot when I called a river bet with TT on a T 8 9 Q x board. They showed Q9, and I took a big chip lead.

The final hand was quite humorous to say the least. We had traded big pots back and forth in the early part of this match when this hand came up.

Seat 1: sketchy1 (27620 in chips)
Seat 2: MrNiphty (20380 in chips)
MrNiphty: posts small blind 160
sketchy1: posts big blind 320
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sketchy1 [3s 5s]
MrNiphty: calls 160
sketchy1: raises 960 to 1280

I really knew their tendencies pretty quick and felt this was a weak hand. I normally do this with no hand, so that if I am re-raised I can dump it.

MrNiphty: raises 4800 to 6080
sketchy1: raises 21540 to 27620 and is all-in

Right here, I knew that they were full of it. I honestly thought they were weaker than ace high even.

MrNiphty: calls 14300 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Th 6h Kc]
*** TURN *** [Th 6h Kc] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [Th 6h Kc 7h] [4d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
sketchy1: shows [3s 5s] (a straight, Three to Seven)
MrNiphty: shows [Ad 7d] (a pair of Sevens)
sketchy1 collected 40760 from pot

Analyzing the hand and the match, there was no reason for them to think A7 was good. The pot odds were just too weak to call with such hand. I applaud them for having the courage to do so, but in retrospect, they should have just folded and saved their 14,000 chips. Most of the time, I do actually have a hand here, since I mix it up enough with my big blind steals that they were just as likely to be dominated as they were to be just a slight favorite over the 35!

My next match was even weirder! My opponent was all-in happy even right off the bat! I raised with A9, and they pushed for 34,000 more over my 2,000 bet! I knew this would probably be a quick match as a result. I was right...

Seat 1: sketchy1 (58880 in chips)
Seat 2: Slick Pappy (37120 in chips)
sketchy1: posts small blind 320
Slick Pappy: posts big blind 640
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to sketchy1 [Kh 7h]
sketchy1: calls 320
Slick Pappy: raises 1920 to 2560
sketchy1: calls 1920
*** FLOP *** [2s 5h 7s]
Slick Pappy: bets 34560 and is all-in
sketchy1: calls 34560
*** TURN *** [2s 5h 7s] [2d]
*** RIVER *** [2s 5h 7s 2d] [Qs]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Slick Pappy: shows [9c As] (a pair of Deuces)
sketchy1: shows [Kh 7h] (two pair, Sevens and Deuces)
sketchy1 collected 74240 from pot

When they had moved all-in on me numerous times, I knew that they were probably doing it with nothing. When I called the raise with K7 and checked the flop, I fully expected them to just push. When they did, I called as quick as possible and dodged his six outs. Remember, heads up, against a guy who pushes a lot, top pair is practically the nuts. I am not talking about someone who plays smart and pushes in key spots, I am talking about someone who is clearly moving all-in because they don't know how to make a small bet to try and pick up a small pot. Their only gear is pushing.

Next week I will write about the final two matches. Check back then!

note by gank: Jon Eaton is a very talented poker player who has had a lot of recent success both in real life and online in No Limit Holdem.