Heads Up Tilt is the Best Kind

Near the end of my Friday session (which was ok, but not long enough) I was fortunate enough to have a pretty big fish all to myself in heads up action for a reasonably long period of time. Another reg sat in just before the final hand, but for the most part everything was HU. He doubled through me pretty early on in a fairly sick suck out, but after that I started winning a lot of pots and I found it intriguing how his style changed so drastically from loose/passive to maniac aggrodonk monkey tilt. Of course, it isn't uncommon to notice people tilting their balls off in full ring action, but it becomes so much more apparent and exploitable when you're in a HU battle.

The first hand where he binks a two outer. River call is pretty standard against this guy I think even before he goes into monkey tilt mode.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (2 handed)
BB ($161.80)
Hero (SB) ($200)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9♦, K♥
Hero bets $4, BB calls $2

Flop: ($8) K♦, 2♣, K♠ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5, BB calls $5

Turn: ($18) 5♠ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $15, BB calls $15

River: ($48) 3♥ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $35, BB raises to $137.80 (All-In), Hero calls $102.80

Total pot: $323.60 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero had 9♦, K♥ (three of a kind, Kings).
BB had 3♣, 3♦ (full house, threes over Kings).
Outcome: BB won $323.10

I had won a bunch of smaller pots before this hand in quick succession, and I could already tell the tilt factor was building.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (2 handed)
SB ($259.95)
Hero (BB) ($256.65)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J♥, J♠
SB bets $4, Hero raises to $12, SB calls $8

Flop: ($24) 10♥, 8♣, 7♦ (2 players)
Hero bets $21, SB calls $21

Turn: ($66) Q♦ (2 players)
Hero bets $39, SB calls $39

River: ($144) A♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, SB checks

Total pot: $144 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
SB mucked 8♥, 9♥ (one pair, eights).
Hero had J♥, J♠ (one pair, Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $143.50

By this point, he had gone from open limping 80% of buttons and raising 20% or so to raising all of them and 3betting around half my opens.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (2 handed)
BB ($234.05)
Hero (SB) ($279.05)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 2♣, 2♦
Hero bets $4, BB raises to $12, Hero calls $8

Flop: ($24) 2♠, 5♣, 6♥ (2 players)
BB bets $23.50, Hero raises to $76, BB raises to $222.05 (All-In), Hero calls $146.05

Turn: ($468.10) K♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($468.10) Q♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $468.10 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero had 2♣, 2♦ (three of a kind, twos).
BB had J♠, A♣ (high card, Ace).
Outcome: Hero won $467.60

He reloads, wins a couple small pots and then this hand happens. Pretty sure if he had A high on the river he's not folding.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (2 handed)
SB ($192.90)
Hero (BB) ($495.60)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A♣, K♥
SB bets $6, Hero raises to $18, SB calls $12

Flop: ($36) 6♦, K♣, 9♥ (2 players)
Hero bets $30, SB calls $30

Turn: ($96) J♦ (2 players)
Hero bets $71, SB calls $71

River: ($238) J♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $237, 1 fold

Total pot: $238 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero didn't show A♣, K♥ (nothing).
Outcome: Hero won $237.50

It is very liberating to a FR nit to be able to fistpump 3 barrel TPNK for value. That being said, my sizing in this hand sucks and there's no excuse for not having a 85% pot shove left on the river and missing out on the last 9bbs.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (2 handed)
BB ($73.90)
Hero (SB) ($614.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 8♠, K♠
Hero bets $4, BB calls $2

Flop: ($8) 5♦, 9♥, K♣ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $5, BB calls $5

Turn: ($18) 7♠ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $13, BB calls $13

River: ($44) 4♦ (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $32, BB calls $32

Total pot: $108 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero had 8♠, K♠ (one pair, Kings).
BB mucked 2♥, 5♥ (one pair, fives).
Outcome: Hero won $107.50

The final hand. Yeah, I flopped two sets vs this poor bastard, not that either were necessary as my bare pairs were good in both cases.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (3 handed)
SB ($56.80)
Hero (BB) ($658.60)
Button ($200)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8♠, 8♣
1 fold, SB bets $6, Hero raises to $18, SB calls $12

Flop: ($36) 8♥, 9♠, 5♠ (2 players)
SB bets $35, Hero raises to $70, SB calls $3.80 (All-In)

Turn: ($113.60) 6♥ (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($113.60) 10♠ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $113.60 | Rake: $1

Results:
SB had Q♠, 5♥ (one pair, fives).
Hero had 8♠, 8♣ (three of a kind, eights).
Outcome: Hero won $112.60

Overall I think I only took him for ~$350 or so, which isn't a ton given it was $200PL. Good times nonetheless though.

While writing up this post I initiated a cashout, and was shocked to find out that the USD is finally valued above the CAD again. I have a widget on my desktop to monitor the exchange rate, and it must be broken because it has the numbers wrong (it is usually consistent with Stars). I verified Stars rate with a couple websites and it appears to be legit, so huzzah for a ~3% bonus on my cashout. First time I haven't had a negative exchange on the process in what seems like forever, though it's probably a year or less. Hopefully it stays this way.