How to play heads up poker

Heads up is a fast paced and aggressive form of poker which is played between just two people. This may be played on purpose for cash, or as a necessary part of a sit-and-go (SNG) poker tournament. Normal games of poker can also become heads up games if all other players are out and there are just two players remaining.

The good news is that there aren’t any adaptions that need to be made from traditional poker to play heads up poker. However, for community card games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha Hold’em, there is one change which is important to make: the position of small and big blinds are reversed. This is simply to ensure fairness.

Starting approach

There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to approach a game of heads up, as each game is unique, and each opponent will require different strategies to better. Try and read your opponent, how are they playing? If they opt for a more aggressive style of play, then it may be best to take a back seat and let them dictate the pace. However, if they are employing a tight and solid style then it would be best to take the lead with the aggression.

When to Raise/Fold

Knowing when you’re beat or when to ramp up the pressure is a key element of playing heads up, and it is essential to maximising your wins and reducing your losses. For example, if you have a strong hand then your goal should be to get as much money in the pot as possible.

However, if you have a relatively weak hand and believe your opponent to have a strong one, then sometimes it is best to fold and limit your losses. Another good time to fold is if your opponent is making huge bets pre-flop. Keeping your ego in check and folding when you miss is an underrated skill which is easier said than done, but you better hope that your opponent is pot-committed when you strike.

What is the small ball poker approach

The term was originally coined by Dan Harrington in his book “Harrington on Hold’em”. The small ball poker approach is when you play a wider range of starting hands very aggressively, only using small bets to manage bankroll and ensure the losses don’t stack up if you lose. This style of play isn’t practical in SNG tournaments where wins are crucial, however can be seen in other forms of heads up poker.

This approach can be handy when wanting to present yourself with a loose table image  to get opponents to feel as though you may make a sloppy mistake. This can then be capitalised upon when opponents call with potentially weaker hands. Another way which this approach can benefit you is by exploiting it when you have a strong hand, potentially making opponents commit more chips to the pot without them realising the strength of that hand.

Aggression in a heads-up poker game

Aggression is widely seen as the most successful approach to heads-up poker. Over a long period of playing, with two players of equal skill, the one who has the more aggressive approach is highly likely to win in the long run.

There are ways to counter an aggressive player by using tactics such as trapping or throwing in the occasional re-raise to keep them on their toes. Another tip for countering aggression is to turn up the aggression on your behalf, but managing bankroll is crucial and making sure to not get baited into raising multiple times on a weak hand can often catch players out.