Heads Up Poker Strategy

Heads up no limit is a totally different experience for poker players used to 6-max or full ring tables.  It can really get inexperienced players out of their comfort zones.  With the blinds hitting every hand, a singular opponent and the wild swings, it can take some getting used to.

This article is divided up into six broad topics that have been applied to heads up play.  Each one of these skills is important by itself but they must all be used in conjunction or else it’s all for nothing.

Hand Values

The first adjustment new players should make is their perception of hand values.  I say it this way because most strategy articles simply say “hand values go up” and leave it at that. 

This makes it sound like one pair should be played like the nuts regardless of the situation.  It is true that you will show down a winning hand with top pair or second pair way more than in a full ring game, but that’s not the end.

Hand Reading

In heads up play, sets still beat pairs and flushes still beat straights… it all depends on what your opponent has.  It sounds obvious but it’s not so easy to apply at the tables.  In heads up play, hand reading becomes vital.  Hand reading is always a necessary skill, but in heads up play, it is everything.

With heads up play you and your opponent will battle for every single pot out there.  With the blinds hitting every hand, you have to take those pots.  Heads up matches are thus noted for high bluffing frequencies and general parrying. 

Take all that jousting around and throw in the occasional strong hand and it becomes obvious why hand reading is critical.  You have to read the opponent and figure how your hand ranks versus his range of likely hands.

Adjusting for Heads Up Play

Heads up play requires hand reading to know how your opponent is playing and hand values to know how to adjust.  The opponent who can make the proper adjustments first will always be the winner.  Adjusting to your opponents' style means understanding how your opponent is playing and then adjusting your play to take advantage of him.

 As soon as your opponent adjusts to your adjustment, you want to be right back in his face with a new style that takes advantage of him.  If your opponent is playing scared then push him around, steal pots, make turn and river bets and get those pots (while using your hand reading skills to get away when your opponent does catch a real hand). 

If he starts to get frustrated and play back at you then slow down a little and let him hang himself the next time you catch a real hand.  Remember, whoever can correctly adjust the quickest will win.

Position

Position is extra important when playing heads up because of all the uncertainty in the game.  By the time a heads up match gets heated, the opponents are playing each other at least as much as they are playing the cards.  Acting last the entire hand gives you a huge information advantage while keeping your opponent in the dark. 

While in position you can control how the hand plays out.  It gives you a chance to see your opponents move first and make a read on his hand before you have to make your decision.  Save your marginal hands for when in position.  It is so much harder to play an iffy hand when out of position than when in.

Avoiding Tilt

If you want to make any money at this game, you cannot let your ego get the best of you.  Heads up is a personal game so it can be hard to admit that an opponent is out playing you. 

If you lose a buy-in or two and feel bad about it for even a second, it’s best to take a break.  Don’t try to win it back.  Not only will your mentality be off but your opponent will be feeling extra confident.  That’s a bad way to play so just get away and play another day.

Handling Aggression

A lot of your opponents will have read a little strategy and know that they are supposed to be aggressive.  They will raise a lot preflop and make a bunch of flop bets without reasoning through it beyond “everyone says I have to be aggressive.” 

These types of opponents may seem decent at first, but they all have one thing in common:  if the hand continues to the turn or river, they are helplessly lost.  By that time they have build a large pot (sometimes out of position) without much thought of a plan. 

The best way to throw these opponents off is to stick around, see the turn and river with them and then just mess with them.  This will take some delicate maneuvering because there will be bigger pots and bigger risks. 

Don’t be afraid to throw some bets out on the turn or make the occasional raise on the river. Although there will be greater risk there will also be greater rewards for those of you who can get the hang of it.

It would take an entire book to cover everything on heads up play and so far we have just covered the basics.  There is a ton of information out there on each subject so check back regularly for more poker strategy.  To read more, head back to our heads up poker page.

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Next: Heads Up Poker vs Full Table Poker