Strategies for Heads Up hold 'em play

I love to play 5$ to 50$ heads up games on poker stars. I win a lot but i also lose alot... Anyone have some good strategies for me?


What i do is basically try to bluff alot because i figure the majority of the time my oponent doesnt have a good hand. I also try to only play good hands when im small blind... What kinds of hands should i call with when im in the small blind?

i play tight when im a big table, but when it comes to heads up i switch gears and play aggressive.

-Usually during heads up play, the hands dealt are live cards, so even with a mediocre hand its good to see the flop if its cheap.

-even though its live cards, you really dont want to spend to much to see a flop with a small hand. In HU, high cards are usually dominating preflop

-Flopping middle pair in HU is good, flopping top pair is even better

-Raise big with A or K high and steal the pot with those high cards

-Raise big with Q or J and steal pots, but i wouldnt put as much trust in a Q high then i would with a K high or better

-Try and avoid bluffing alot in HU, its very easy for your opponent to have hit anything on the board. Unless i have some draws showing...ie: overcards, straight, flush, i would refrain from bluffing at a hand.

-In SB i like to raise a lot with decent hands 10 - A high card. i rarely just call in SB and im usually folding anything thats a 4-2 low card.

-In BB i raise a lot with face high cards and just call small raises in decent hands.

Top Ten and One

I like the Top ten hands (AK, AQ, AJ, A10, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010, KQ, ) BUT IN HEADS UP IT WILL TAKE FORVER IF AT ALL TO SEE THESE HANDS. So what I would play is one card has to be in the above list and anything over seven. But this all depends on the bet. once your leader just call with 2 pair or 1st or 2nd pair with a good kicker. Or try playing tight for the first few hands real tight then come out aggressive. Do alot of check raises when you know you beat your opponent, but not all the time for the opponent will lose faith. Keep your head up when you lose and keep positive in every game. CCC Cool, Calm, and Collected.

Wish you Good Luck. :hello:

You have to be more aggressive during heads up play. Raise often when you're the dealer (big blind). Depending on who you play against, most of the time they will fold. Bet a lot when you hit top pair. Don't let the opponent call small bets to chase a straight or flush. When two players play heads up, the most aggressive is usually the winner.

philthy said:

-Try and avoid bluffing alot in HU, its very easy for your opponent to have hit anything on the board. Unless i have some draws showing...ie: overcards, straight, flush, i would refrain from bluffing at a hand.

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Eh? More often than not your opponent will not flop a hand, and this is why aggression is so important in heads-up play. If you sit around waiting for big pairs and autofolding any flops you don't hit with any other hand, you're leaving too much to the luck of the cards.

The rest of your post is great though.

One other thing, know your opponent. He might play very tightly, almost as if he is at a full table and fold a lot of hands preflop. He may limp in from the SB a lot and fold to raises. He may bet out on the flop but often check-fold the turn if called. He might come over the top of your bets very often. It's easier to learn about an opponent heads-up because he's the only other person you have to worry about, but it's also crucial you gain a read on his betting patterns and use it to your advantage.

Since agressive play heads up is so standard, I like to take some time at the beginning to limp in and check a lot to convince my opponent I don't know what i'm doing, plus this give me the chance to see how my opponent plays, and might cause them to respect my bluffs more at a later stage. And while I'd certainly not disagree with an agressive strategy, an agressive oppenent playing back at you can be very frustrating, and many people will raise back at you, especially the better ones, knowing that you're probably bluffing too. so often, unless you're really good at sencing weaking (or are playing against a horrible opponent, which is a completly different matter all together) you'll end up eventually just having to gamble and hope for the best. just my opinion, though, and i definatly need more expirence.

-n

All of the above are great !! The agressive style works against most people in heads up, the fact is most players will miss the board most hands no mater how many are in the hand.
As for me playing heads up, I consider heads up physiological warfare!
In heads up I play the player, first and the cards, second! It is poker nature
For players to act week when strong and strong when week. In heads up mix
it up so well your opponent never knows which way you are playing,. The
rope a dope if you will. Some times I will fold a lot early on (when raised)
to make the opponent think I will only play premium hands. I also (like nate said)
like to make the opponent think I am a donk early so they will make more moves
on me. The physiological part is the biggest thing in heads up! Take it kind slow for 10 hands or so, concentrating on what your opponent is doing AND WHY. Then turn the tables on them! PLAY THE PLAUER FIRST AND THE CARDS SECOND in heads up. But that’s just me!

WoW lol ty all so much for this info ill try it out the next time i play i hope it will come in handy!

Heads Up S'n'Gs!!

I decided to play some $10 heads up sit 'n' go's yesterday for the first time for something different....and i think i love them....i lost the first one but have won prob 65-70% since then. So much action it's great....also feel like its really added a new dimension to my game knowing i can win consistently heads up.

One thing i've learned is that you can win no matter what your stack size..winning a few from having less than $100 left by adjusting my play to the opponent.

Whats the optimum strategy in regards to the Blinds increasing?....the games i have lost i have lost earlier rather than later(the longer the game goes the better i seem to do no matter what stack size i have), is that a result from maybe being overly aggressive early when the blinds are smaller, should i tighten up a little earlier?.....any ideas for improving my game. Damn they're fun though.....no more ring games lol!

I love playing heads up. Where do you play these sit n gos? I might want to play against you one of these times.
When the blinds do get larger, you may have to tighten your game a little. When you hit something on the flop, especially top pair, bet big. Raise more often preflop if you have a decent hand. Don't let the other opponent limp in with garbage hands and end up with a full house or a straight on the flop.

Heads Up Play...

Definitely agree, I love Heads Up Sit 'n' Go's. First off, they help you practice that crucial skill for the end of larger tournament games. And second, they're fun cause you're right in the action. It feels more like chess sometimes.

One match I had in particular, I remember took forever, and at times each of us was twice down to less than 10% of total chips. I was so focused on every hand, really watching his style and trying to adapt. And it was so sweet when I won it, though the stakes were fairly low.

Personally, I find there is no ideal style except: adaptation. If they are playing tight, steal the blinds. If they're playing loose, tighten up a bit but don't let them bully you on the blind! Be (seemingly) unpredictable and especially, wait for mistakes or impatience and capitalize!

Hey guys, I just wanted the "newbies" to check out this sub-forum: Heads-Up League and Discussion. This is a section where you can challenge other Cardschat members to a heads-up match! It hasn't been used in awhile, and I would love to see it get going again. BTW Beriac, iwanturcoin--I've really enjoyed your posts so far--keep 'em coming! Good job.

Please - WHERE ARE THE H2H S'N'G's? Thanks

robwhufc said:

Please - WHERE ARE THE H2H S'N'G's? Thanks

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There are some on UB (there are even H2H cash games), Poker Host , Paradise (they call it 1 on 1), Titan (both SNGs and cash games), well, pretty much everywhere I've been.

I think Dorkus Malorkus has hit the nail right on the head. You need to get a feel for your opponent and totally adjust your play to maximize your chances. Against tight opponents, there may be opportunities to steal blinds and bluff. Against looser opponents, you can play less hands but make them pay when you connect. And of course, as you can change your strategy, so can they, so you end up dancing around each other. The more dynamic person might win more often than not.

I merged these two threads by crazyskater and iwanturcoin as they deal with the same topic of discussion.