Problems i have with HU play

[theordinaryboy]

hey there

i recently set myself a HU challenge and after playing a couple of hundred HU games there are a few patterns and interesting strategy points which i find differ to the views i had when i started.

First of all, the games that i play vary from $40-$640 buy-in they have 10 minute blinds with 10/20, 15/30, 25/50, 50/100 it rarely gets past this level.

When i began playing i thought that any A was a good hand, however one of the biggest problems i have is raising with A8-A2. Essentially we are raising here to hit an A which will happen one in six times (i think) so that means the remaining five in six times i miss.

My second problem is partially related to the first. Continuation bets get me in to all sorts of trouble, if i am missing five out of six times, then cont. betting, i get check/raised very often, or check/called, then have to decide whether or not to fire the second bullet on the turn.

I understand that strategy for HU is very difficult to talk about generally because it is SO player dependant but does anyone have insight into how to play Ace-bad kicker in position, pre-flop and post-flop.

As a final comment when i hit my 1 in 6 chance and an ace comes on the flop i rarely get any action.

cheers

[Dromar]

Have you thought of not raising A-rag preflop? I like to raise, but I want to do it with hands that hit flops well, like SCs or two high cards in the playing zone. That way, I'll more often have a hand I can c-bet with, and if my c-bet gets called, I'll have a much better chance to improve.

Basically the problem you're having is that A-rag doesn't "play well." It seems good because it has an ace, but it's actually not. Whereas if you raise with KJ, you'll probably have either top pair, overcards, or a straight draw on the flop. So if your c-bet gets called, you aren't hopeless. When you c-bet with A4 you're usually pretty much hopeless unless an A comes.

[Banditgberg]

i find myself folding Ace rag when i am in the BB to 3x preflop raises against tight aggressives, they can get you in trouble...

but remember, if your hand only hits 1 outta 6, so does the other guy!

[roommate]

Try not raising with Ace rag... also, do not C-bet all the time... or even half of the time... if you raise every ace you get and then c-bet the flop regardless. Most opponents will realize that you did not hit and will raise you off your high card hand.

I like what bandit said about folding the ace rag. I agree that against tighter opponents calling a raise out of position with Ax is poor form. Because an ace on the flop will leave you behind often... and hoping for an Axx flopped fullhouse is silly.