Hi guys,

In recent months I am feeling quite perplexed when it comes to HU (Both MTT and SNG but more commonly in SNG since it’s easier to get HU) and the villain is short stacked. I can’t tell whether I should be applying aggression when I’m first to act and I hold middle of the deck hands like J8o, or if I should be tightening up a bit when the villain is low since villain will start calling wider and I don’t want to double him up.
I think what I’m noticing about my play is that I’ve been acting almost as if the effective stacks (villain’s stack) is my stack, and I’m shoving as if I had that stack. I could see why this might be very wrong.
I’m getting confused because it seems often times I try to tighten up and go for a solid showdown to take him out, but I wind up letting him build back up to a position of leverage, whereas if I try to keep on the aggression, I wind up doubling him up.
HU is an important situation and I truly don’t want to be messing up these spots.

I would like to use the SNG I just took 2nd in as an example and ask about two hands. $7 turbo 6max Sng, starting stacks 1500, and I was HU with villain, AAAAALLIN, a reg who is listed in HM as TAG but I perceive him as just solid .. after 560 hands he plays 20/16/7.6, %18 fold to steal. I don’t know that AAAAALLIN really perceives me as tough, but I did just take serious advantage of him on the bubble when a tiny stack was AFK.

This is the second hand of HU.
Blinds are 75/150
BTN/SB) Hero – 8,177 after posting SB
BB) Villain – 598 after posting BB
Hero holds Jc8d
Hero shoves.

So is this a good shove or is villain too low? I feel as though I have been tight enough in the past to fold this, but I of course am wondering if I need to be keeping the pressure on. So villain had K5 and called to double up.

After another double up that I couldn’t do anything to avoid, this hand came up:
Blinds are 100/200/20
BTN/SB) Villain – 3,512 after posting SB
BB) Hero – 5,148 after posting BB
Hero holds KsQc
Villain shoves.
Hero?
I don’t think V is shoving 18BB HU with any of JJ-AA or AQ-AK. Is this reasonable? I figured he could have AX but also plenty KX and QX .. If he has AX I say it’s weighted towards low kickers.
Hero calls.

Thanks for reading. The question this post boils down to is – when HU and the V is down to 5-9BB, should we tighten up a bit and not shove hands like J8o as I did in the first hand? Or should we be keeping on the pressure even when they’re that low, only tightening up when they’re seriously small, like below 5bb?