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Let's talk HU strategy...

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  1. Pyradox Pyradox is offline

    Millersburg, PA
    United States

    Posts: 324
    Joined: Jan 07

    Mar 2nd, 2008 (3/2/2008 4:51am)

    Ok, I consider myself to be a solid player. I have had my share of good and bad runs, but I haven't won a 5-fig. cash yet, which is something I would like to change. My ITM % is decent for both MTT's and sng's, but lately I have found myself completely blowing it in HU. It doesn't matter where I am in chips (anywhere from 10-1 advantage to a 10-1 defecit, mostly falling towards the middle of that somewhere). Now, there may or may not be something wrong with what I am doing (I do play a lower volume than what most of you play, so it may be just variance in play here). Basically, what I'm looking for here are some different aspects of HU play that I should be focusing on so I can tune up my game a bit. I did not really find anything useful in the strategy archives, so if you have another place to look, that will be ok too.
  2. OSUBucks42 OSUBucks42 is offline

    North Royalton, OH
    United States

    Posts: 2,159
    Joined: Mar 06

    Mar 2nd, 2008 (3/2/2008 5:52am) in reply to Pyradox

    HU sng's. seriously for me the best thing was to just learn from experience.
  3. greggo430 greggo430 is offline

    Gaithersburg, MD
    United States

    Posts: 780
    Joined: Jul 06

    Mar 2nd, 2008 (3/2/2008 8:03am) in reply to Pyradox

    This is about as fool proof as it gets if the stacks arent deep, its based on Nash equilibrium.

    SAGE SYSTEM FOR HU PLAY

    <SPAN>The system assigns each card a "power number" based on its rank: A equals 15, K is 13, Q is 12 and J is 11, with 10 and below at face value. You determine the "power index" of your hand with this formula: double the power number for your higher card, then add the power number of your lower card. If they're a pair, add 22. If they're suited, add 2. </SPAN>

    <SPAN>Next, figure the ratio of the shorter stack to the big blind, then use this table to determine whether your power index is strong enough to play the hand. </SPAN>

    <SPAN>Ratio<SPAN> </SPAN>Jam<SPAN> </SPAN>Call</SPAN>

    <SPAN>1<SPAN> </SPAN>17<SPAN> </SPAN>(any)</SPAN>

    <SPAN>2<SPAN> </SPAN>21<SPAN> </SPAN>17</SPAN>

    <SPAN>3<SPAN> </SPAN>22<SPAN> </SPAN>24</SPAN>

    <SPAN>4<SPAN> </SPAN>23<SPAN> </SPAN>26</SPAN>

    <SPAN>5<SPAN> </SPAN>24<SPAN> </SPAN>28</SPAN>

    <SPAN>6<SPAN> </SPAN>25<SPAN> </SPAN>29</SPAN>

    <SPAN>7<SPAN> </SPAN>26<SPAN> </SPAN>30</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Under this system, if your hand's power index is strong enough, you should jam if you're the small blind or call if you're the big blind. For example, say the blinds are 500/1000, and that after the blinds are posted, the small blind has 5,635 chips and the big blind has 2,865 chips, producing a ratio value of about 3 (that is, the smaller stack is only about 3 times the size of the big blind). </SPAN>

    <SPAN>If the small blind has pocket 3's, his power index is (2 x 3) + 3 + 22 = 31. If the big blind has Js-4s, his power index is (2 x 11) + 4 + 2 = 28. Because the small blind's power index of 31 is much greater than 22 - the power index needed to play a hand at that ratio - he should jam. With the same hand, the big blind should call. </SPAN>

    <SPAN>The smaller the ratio, the better the system works. Above 7 to 1, you should simply play good poker - try to get a physical read on your opponent, decide whether a bluff might work, evaluate your hand, and so on. But if you think your opponent is substantially better than you, you can use the SAGE system and be confident you're giving up only a minuscule edge. </SPAN>

    <SPAN> </SPAN>

    <SPAN> </SPAN>

    <SPAN>One BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any A</SPAN>

    <SPAN>K2s+, K4o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Q3s+,Q5+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>J6+, J4s+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>T5s+, T7o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>96s+, 98o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>87s+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>2 BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>A4s+, A6o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>K6s+, K8o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Q7s+, Q9o+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>J8s+, JTo+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>T9s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>3 BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>A5s, A7o</SPAN>

    <SPAN>K7s, K9o</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Q8s, QTo</SPAN>

    <SPAN>J9s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>4 BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>A8o+, A6s+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>KTo, K8s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>QJo, Q9s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>5 BB (Call 3 BB)</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any Pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>A9o+, A7s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>KJo+, K9s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>QTs+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>6 BB (call 3.5 BB)</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any Pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>ATo+, A8s</SPAN>

    <SPAN>KQo+, KTs</SPAN>

    <SPAN>QJs+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>7 BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any Pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>AJo+, A9s+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>KJs+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Call 5 BB</SPAN>

    <SPAN>Any Pair</SPAN>

    <SPAN>AKo+, AJs+</SPAN>

    <SPAN>KQs (marginal)</SPAN>
  4. amak316 amak316 is offline

    Posts: 2,823
    Joined: Mar 06

    Mar 2nd, 2008 (3/2/2008 8:38am) in reply to greggo430

    looooooooooooooool the sage system is like the worst possible. When effective stacks are 7bb you want him only jamming any Pair, AJo+, A9s+, KJs+? thats only 10.7% of hands........ you do realize how many chips he gains when you fold the other 90% of hands.

    I shove like 70% of hands when stacks are effectively 7bbs. When stacks are 5bbs and lower i shove any 2.

    when people shove 7bbs i call with like 40% of the deck. when people shove with < 5bbs i call with like 98%.

    When stacks are even 10bbs deep (which your system says you should try to play good postflop poker and pick up physical tells, looool) ICM says in a std HU sng you should be shoving 58.3%...

    I think either this "sage system" you posted is seriously flawed, or you messed up the ratios, both ways i dont believe in a HU system to win at HU poker, any primarily push fold system is exploitable by anyone who is decent at reading ranges and i dont think youd turn a profit from even a less flawed push fold strategy.

    edit: for the record i hope i misinterpreted your post because that is honestly so absurd..
     
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