| To be a successful winning tournament player you | | | | 82o again 34o = 48% chance to win (against 34o!) |
| have to have a solid heads up strategy. Thankfully you | | | | 82o against JJ = 11% chance to win. |
| can train your skills playing heads up SNG's that most | | | | Lets see what the % are against suited connectors |
| populair pokerrooms offer. Also, you can specialise in | | | | like 67s |
| heads up poker and make profit playing heads up only. | | | | 67s against KQs = 40% chance to win. |
| Here is a solid heads up poker strategy. | | | | 67s against 9To = 38% chance to win. |
| The absolute beginner falls quickly in the gamblers | | | | 67s again 34o = 58% chance to win (against 34o!) |
| mentality; they think that when he gets garbage his | | | | 67s against JJ = 21% chance to win. |
| opponent will get garbage too and it's a coinflip who is | | | | You gain 10% with playing suited connectors. The best |
| going the win the heads up game. Strategy is no | | | | strategy is to just fold when your opponent raises |
| longer on their mind, while this is a huge aspect of | | | | from the button with hands like; 84 / 73 / J2 / 94 / Q4 |
| heads-up play. | | | | etc. |
| The Button | | | | Phases of heads up poker |
| Every poker player knows position is important in | | | | You both start with a equal stack, probably 1500 chips. |
| poker and that's also true in heads up poker. When | | | | You have won some small pots and now the chip |
| you are on the button you can act first preflop and act | | | | count is 1800 for you, 1200 for your opponent. In this |
| last post-flop. Heads up this is a huge advantage on | | | | phase you don't wanna play big pots since at this |
| your opponent. For example: | | | | stage one hand can turn around everything. In heads |
| You get Kc 5h on the button. Every King or Ace is | | | | up it's all about taking the lead and to keep the lead. |
| worth a raise so you raise 3 or 4 times the big blind. | | | | The next phase is when you have 2000 chips and |
| With that preflop raise you take initiative of the hand | | | | your opponent 1000. Your opponent needs to get |
| and your opponent has to be careful and he may be | | | | some chips soon, one mistake of him is almost his end |
| worried with your raise. Also, when he calls you act | | | | of the game. This is the time where you can steal pots |
| last on every street postflop. So when he misses he is | | | | by raising big and preflop aggression. But don't raise |
| forced to check (or it's a LAG player) and you can | | | | too big, you don't wanna double up your opponent and |
| take the pot easily with a continuation-bet. | | | | give him the lead. |
| So, having no position is a bad situation for you. The | | | | The last phase is when you have 2500 chips or more |
| best strategy is to pick good hands to play out of | | | | and you opponent has 500 or less. Now the game is in |
| position. I suggest you only call raises preflop with | | | | your control. Your opponent has to go all-in with almost |
| suited connectors, any A, any K and pocket pairs. Fold | | | | any hand. Alot of people have no patience and double |
| most hands when your opponent raises from the | | | | up their opponent and move back a phase. The |
| button. You should make big raises when the button | | | | strategy for this is; Fold, fold fold and call with any Ace |
| just limps and you wake up with a hand. It's better to | | | | or a pocket pair. When you think your opponent is |
| pick up the pot preflop out of position so you don't | | | | pushing with rags you can call with hands like KQ/KJ |
| have to play on postflop out of position. | | | | KT. Have patience and soon you'll win the heads up |
| Hands you can play heads up | | | | match. |
| A common mistake in heads up poker is that you | | | | Folding |
| have to play every hand. It's true your opponent has | | | | A player misses a flop 2 out of 3 times. So when you |
| rags the most of the time, but it's important to play | | | | have a hand like 75s and the flop is Q85, min raise you |
| good hands in big pots. | | | | opponent because his bet is 2 out of 3 times a |
| Let's take some examples. | | | | continuation bet. When he's fighting back you should |
| Everyone who has played heads up knows that you | | | | fold your bottom pair. In heads up poker it's very |
| get bad hands like; 93offsuit. Everyone knows 93o is a | | | | common that bottom pair is the best hand so don't fold |
| bad hand but most players call the bb with that hand. | | | | them too often. Also, when you play with aggression |
| What flop would you like? 993 ? 935 ? The statistics | | | | you can have him fold the best hand. Every hand is a |
| shows how bad these kinda hands are. | | | | fight for chips, bet and raise for information, don't fold |
| 82o against KQs = 30% chance to win. | | | | too often with a pair, but don't play big pots with |
| 82o against 9To = 29% chance to win. | | | | bottom pair. Good luck at the heads up poker tables! |