Heads up poker is the name used to describe a game of poker with only two players at the table. It is basically 1 v 1 poker. Heads up poker can be very profitable if you know how to play and target bad opponents. Playing against a bad player heads up is a dream situation for any poker player simply because you are the only one at the table who can win their money. Here are some heads up poker tips to get you started.
Aggression
Aggression is very important when playing heads up poker. Given that you are only playing against one other player you have to assume that most of the time preflop and on the flop they have weak holdings. Exploit this by playing a wide range of hands preflop aggressively and C-bet frequently against players who aren't playing back at you. Give your opponent the chance to fold his hand.
Position
Play more hands in position preflop. When playing heads up poker the range of hands you play from the button should be much much wider than the range of hands you play from the big blind. When playing from the button you are in position and are therefore last to act on all betting streets. This is a major advantage as you can pray on the weakness of you opponent with ease. It is also much easier to control the pot size when you are in position.
Adapting
When playing one on one poker you need to adapt to the way your opponent is playing so that you can exploit them to the maximum. If a player is limping on the button too much then open up the range of hands you are raising on the button. Should your opponent be c-betting 100% of the time then try check raising them with air on the flop. If your opponent is calling down three streets with middle pair type hands then stop bluffing and wait for a strong hand to value bet with. Change your play so that it exploits your opponent as much as possible.
Control Your Ego
Players who can't control their ego will struggle to become successful heads up poker players. No matter who you are playing you need to stay in emotional control. If you tilt playing heads up then you will find yourself losing money at an extraordinary rate. Don't ever be afraid to leave a game or stop playing against someone who you feel is a better player than you. Your bankroll doesn't care what your ego thinks!
Article written by doovde who plays 50c/$1 and $1/$2 heads up matches on all the big sites including expekt poker where he is currently trying to clear the expekt poker bonus code, although he plays mainly on Pokerstars.
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