Heads Up Sit-And-Go's Playing Aggressive Players

Trapping your opponent in Heads Up Sit-N-Go's is a key to playing these profitably. By the very nature of the game, heads up poker matches attracts very aggressive players. Sometimes these players are so aggressive it's similar to the style of a megalomaniac.

You can use play opponents like this to your advantage by presenting them an opportunity to run over you early on, so limp and fold often. Don't raise any starting hands except pocket Aces or Kings, and be prepared to fold hands like Ace King or a pair of jacks and smaller a large amount of the time to the aggressive bets of your opponent. The purpose in doing this is to allow the maniac to win a bunch of small pots by betting the pot on each street, even when he obviously is holding something as weak as air. You can count on this type of opponent to bet every single time you check to him, and early on the best strategy for heads up sit and go's is to let the maniac think it works! I've done this so many times and I can literally imagine my opponent behind the computer screen giggling away as he bluffs me out of pot after pot and then I pounce.

Playing The Flop

If you flop a big hand against a maniac you want to trap them for all of their chips and thus win the match. Check to the maniac, he will bet. If you are convinced you have the best hand the best play is to check/call rather than check raise this will build a much bigger pot for the maniac to over-commit to on the turn.

Playing The Turn

On the turn you will have to use the information you have about the hand to decide the most profitable action. Check raise the turn if you don't think your opponent hit a draw that will beat you, but you think their hand improved. Check/Call if you think the maniac didn't improve, this will help you extract more value on the river. The turn is usually the best spot to try to get all your chips in with the best hand, as a maniac will often have committed himself significantly to this pot by now with even a weak draw or an overcard.

Playing The River

Here again you will need to rely on information about the hand, the maniac's betting patterns, and whether the maniac is likely to bluff the river. In most situations I recommend value betting if you are first to act, and shoving the river in position.