This or Ultimate Fighting…

1. THE CHALLENGE

Quite frankly, we’re not happy. We talked a good talk but now, with just one month to go, we’re three points behind the pros. Only a clean sweep next month will draw us level and help avoid total humiliation. And, to date, we’ve only emerged with two clear winners from TeamPokerPlayer. If next month’s challenge ends in another defeat then victors Matt Morey and Clare Choak will be going up against each other for the grand prize and title of headsup champion of champions.

But there is some good news amid the carnage. After crawling on our hands and knees to PokerRoom, and admitting their team of hardened pros are ‘fairly good’, they’ve agreed to give us another chance. So, following next month’s concluding chapter of Out Of Your League, we’re going to unveil a brand new challenge. And only the hardy need apply. Remember folks, even when the battle is lost, the war can still be won.

2. THE WEIGH-IN

Myth0s, TeamPokerPlayer
Stuart Heath, 40, Loughborough, UK

VS
bundyjohnny, TeamPokerRoom
Johnny Rutherford, 23, Blackwater, Surrey, UK

3. THE GAMEPLAN – Johnny Rutherford

Pay for information

Heads-up poker is a different ball game (well… card game) to when you’re multi-handed. Hands that would usually be considered marginal are very powerful, but the key is to play them differently each time. Use the first few hands to get an idea of your opponent’s style of play and, if you can do so cheaply, pay for information because you’ll reap the rewards later in the game.

Set traps

The key to being successful heads-up is to slowplay and set traps when you make a good hand. If you hit two-pair or trips on the flop, slow-play it. Most heads-up pots are won by a single pair, or two-pair. For anything bigger, let your opponent think he’s got the upper hand and bet into you. Most of the time players tend to bet with overcards and highly unlikely drawing hands.

Play position

Some players believe you should raise on the button regardless of your hand in heads-up. But I don’t subscribe to that – sod’s law dictates that raising with a weak hand will allow your opponent to slow-play a monster on you. Don’t be afraid to fold junk on the small blind. If you’re holding an Ace or a couple of face cards, then raise her up. Otherwise, toss it to the muck.

4. POST MATCH ANALYSIS – Johnny Rutherford

All three games were tight and presented very few showdowns. I hit trips on the flop twice in a row against his top pair, but Myth0s had a good intuition of my strength, even though I played differently in each case. It was like he had a sixth sense for my big hands, so that I got no action with K-K, A-K, Q-Q and J-J, when he folded his small blind to me several times in the opening two games. The turning point in the first game was the Jacks v Aces – and in fairness, Myth0s played it perfectly; but either the poker gods are on your side or they’re not.

Aggressive streak

Myth0s’ conservative play and refusal to call without a made hand enabled me to steal several post-flop pots by representing a hand, which built up enough of a chip advantage for me to be able to bully him out of pots. He made very few mistakes over the three games, but in heads-up you can’t afford to wait for cards to come.

I came out guns blazing in the final game, having changed gears to a more aggressive style and it paid off. He allowed me to see flops cheaply with marginal hands from the big blind, although I did have just a little bit of luck on my side.

SCOREBOARD

TeamPokerPlayer 6
TeamPokerRoom 9

Another close one – but now we need a clean sweep next month to avoid ignominious defeat..