Heads Up, PT 1 & 2

I've embarked on a series of heads up games. The big difference between heads up and full table games is you play a lot more hands, mediocre hand values go up, and you will almost always see the flop (unless you REALLY have crap).

vs JIMMY
Jimmy is my brother and we live together. We're both equally enthusiastic about poker and willing to play each other frequently. By playing against each other constantly we get to learn about each other's play, get to talk about hands, and test different styles of play against each other. Jimmy and I decided to play 10 heads up games over the course of a week, the winner of the majority of the games won $10. It was a good cheap way to play a lot of hands for not much $. We were tied up for the first 6 games but I took the next 3 games and won the marathon. I think I spotted a weakness in my brother's game and that worked to my advantage. Catching some good hands (and minimizing my losses with bad hands) worked out nicely too. Jimmy is developing a good aggressive style that I think will work well for him. (+ $10)

vs Fagone (stakes and steaks)
I played against Fagone at his house yesterday after having some steaks that he cooked up on his Forman Grille (thanks Fagone!). We played two games, $25 and $20 freeze outs. The blind structure was set to increase every 20 minutes (.50/1, 1/2, etc) with $100 in chips each. Fagone busted me both games, my two pair against his straight (he held 7,4 both times!). The first game he bet, I moved all-in, he called, I lost. The second game he bet, I reraised, he moved over the top, I called, I lost. I should have learned from the first time that if Fagone is willing to move all-in he probably has me beat. The first game lasted about an hour, the second game was about half that. I didn't give myself time to really settle and focus and I payed for it, but It was fun and we're planning on doing it again. Next time we'll play more games for smaller stakes (and more steaks?). (-$45)

For future heads-up freeze outs I think raising the blinds at a slower pace is a good idea. It will allow more time to settle into the game and focus.