Split From Heads Up - Round 1

[Believe The Sickness]

Of course it would have been a nice achievement for you if you had beaten me, Zero. But when blinds are that high and you don't have a very big stack you have to just pick and choose what hands you run with. That makes luck a very big part of this, as opposed to the actual GWPS where you aren't forced all-in if you lose one decent hand. Losing and winning in this thing doesn't necessarily make a player good or bad. It's all about consistency. At least that's what I keep telling myself...

But Cole said it best after my game last night. I'm a tight player (I believe he used the term 'rock.') My specialty isn't playing heads-up with large blinds because the winner usually is the more aggressive player. Of course, it didn't help the fact that I was very aggressive the first game. The two games where I had an audience (and won) were after I had played aggressive and lost. Zero was calling everything, so I couldn't bluff. And even when I legitimately thought I had the best hand he was catching something better. That's why I had to change up my play again and go back to the rock and try that. Luckily, I caught better cards in the second and third game and ended up winning.

So Benzine, we should have a good game on our hands (as long as I can catch cards.)

[Zell 17]

Of course it would have been a nice achievement for you if you had beaten me, Zero. But when blinds are that high and you don't have a very big stack you have to just pick and choose what hands you run with. That makes luck a very big part of this, as opposed to the actual GWPS where you aren't forced all-in if you lose one decent hand. Losing and winning in this thing doesn't necessarily make a player good or bad. It's all about consistency. At least that's what I keep telling myself...


The problem with that logic is that all of the higher seeds (and presumably better players have won to this point, the exception being the 5-4 game which is basically even. So it has to be SOMEWHAT of a good indicator :)

[The Smart Patrol]

I think that having 1000 chips to start with, and the blinds being pretty high at 50, it can be hard to 'settle in' to these games- you're thrown in at the deep end pretty much straight away. Any bluffs that get called down can take away nearly your whole stack. It would be good if we could play a blind structure to allow for more poker to be played. And yes, this is a lame excuse.

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Having this structure is the only way we could have done it. Plus, I am a firm believer that heads-up matches should never last more than 15 minutes each. They are meant to be in a tough situation with high blinds and constant action. That is something we cannot really emulate in the real GWPS so I wanted to do it here.

If the blinds were 25, then people could just fold every hand until they pick up the nuts to smoke the other person with. With the higher blinds, it requires you to pick spots and make stands for your poker life. It adds a dynamic that the GWPS lacks.

And Velocity, I won't bug you for the game. Just IM me whenever you are ready. I'll be on every day at random points after 6 PM this week. Hope your grandpa is okay. I know how it feels. My great-grand father died last Friday. Good luck.

[The Smart Patrol]

Having this structure is the only way we could have done it. Plus, I am a firm believer that heads-up matches should never last more than 15 minutes each. They are meant to be in a tough situation with high blinds and constant action. That is something we cannot really emulate in the real GWPS so I wanted to do it here.

If the blinds were 25, then people could just fold every hand until they pick up the nuts to smoke the other person with. With the higher blinds, it requires you to pick spots and make stands for your poker life. It adds a dynamic that the GWPS lacks.


When you're getting hands like 45 off-suit constantly, you won't find a hand with which you can feel confident about making a stand. Obviously that's where just going for it and being brave comes in, but more often than not moving with next to nothing is going to get you busted. I appreciate that this is the only way we can do it, though.

[Coleman]

When you're getting hands like 45 off-suit constantly, you won't find a hand with which you can feel confident about making a stand. Obviously that's where just going for it and being brave comes in, but more often than not moving with next to nothing is going to get you busted.No, that's where real skill comes in. It's like a Turbo game (which I love), some people say they're for the worse players. I say it's simply for a different BREED of players. Turbo games (and these heads up games) are about picking your spot. It's about finding the right moment with the right hand. You have to have faith in bluffing, and be able to read your opponent or you'll get know where.

I think this level of blinds is PERFECT.

[Cluck.]

No, that's where real skill comes in. It's like a Turbo game (which I love), some people say they're for the worse players. I say it's simply for a different BREED of players. Turbo games (and these heads up games) are about picking your spot. It's about finding the right moment with the right hand. You have to have faith in bluffing, and be able to read your opponent or you'll get know where.

I think this level of blinds is PERFECT.I agree whole-heartedly. The blinds are only too high for players who are scared to bet unless they have the nuts. Champions in GWPS events should be able to play in diffrent situations.

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Really though. The stacks are 20 times the BB size, meaning with both blinds coming through, you should need to play pots. If you've watched people play heads up, or win yourself, you'll know that you can raise with 10-8 or J-2 while calling with almost anything. This is discouraging people to wait for the nuts. Stealing blinds becomes important and post-pot play is important. I feel that the GWPS Main Event rewards too much for sitting and playing the nuts preflop while folding everything else. Blind stealing and bluffing is almost none existant. The larger blinds in theory should make things more lightning paced, which it should be. I've hardly ever played heads up that lasted more than 15 hands. So this game reflects that.

[Benzine]

No, that's where real skill comes in. It's like a Turbo game (which I love), some people say they're for the worse players. I say it's simply for a different BREED of players. Turbo games (and these heads up games) are about picking your spot. It's about finding the right moment with the right hand. You have to have faith in bluffing, and be able to read your opponent or you'll get know where.

I think this level of blinds is PERFECT.


I agree three billion percent. In my game against TSP, I had three good hands. My comeback hand, and my two winning hands. Everything else was bluff.