how to play heads-up?

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Pandaaaaa88

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Hates this moments, when you have to play head to head, i just cant win< without any luck ofc:rolleyes:
 
CrockPot

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In short play really aggressive, after the flop either raise or fold, try to limit flat calling. Your hand standards in heads up are really low you should play just about every hand. Pre flop calling is okay but don't pre flop call 10 hands then raise on the 11th that's a give away that your hand is big. Try to stay consistent every hand. If your opponent is really aggressive either become a calling station or play more aggressively. Whoever is more aggressive will have an edge. Basically what I'm saying is in heads up play you need AGGRESSION AGGRESSSION AGGRESSION! Aggression is key! Good Luck!
 
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Pandaaaaa88

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In short play really aggressive, after the flop either raise or fold, try to limit flat calling. Your hand standards in heads up are really low you should play just about every hand. Pre flop calling is okay but don't pre flop call 10 hands then raise on the 11th that's a give away that your hand is big. Try to stay consistent every hand. If your opponent is really aggressive either become a calling station or play more aggressively. Whoever is more aggressive will have an edge. Basically what I'm saying is in heads up play you need AGGRESSION AGGRESSSION AGGRESSION! Aggression is key! Good Luck!

i cant be agressive with low pare for example i cant reraise or call with this hand. Isn't heads-up just a lottery?
 
magicius

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i cant be agressive with low pare for example i cant reraise or call with this hand. Isn't heads-up just a lottery?

With low pair just shove...
Any pair is a shove... Ah ye depends how deep your stacks are...

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CrockPot

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i cant be agressive with low pare for example i cant reraise or call with this hand. Isn't heads-up just a lottery?
Look at it this way- most of the time the other guy has nothing so you can raise and call with a low pair. I'm always c betting with air in heads up. Heads up is not a lottery its poker in its purest form. Try looking up videos.
 
Jblocher1

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Raise almost all of ur buttons.... C bet often... Middle or low pair will often be the best hand.... It's very different than Six or nine handed. Often high card will be best. Pay attention to board texture and be aware that villain can float ur flop c bets with over cards or total air figuring u have nothing and they plan to take it down on the turn or river with a bluff.

Watch videos... There are many quality ones available on the forum.

Good luck sir
 
dealio96

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Check out the heads up poker learning resources thread.
 
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racorel

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The aggressor will win suppose you only call in the big blind with the best 33% of the hands that you are dealt. Then he can raise every time and if called, be done with it-that is, not bet the flop-unless he flops a good hand. When this is the case, he's going to win $150 two out of three times, plus he's going to win more sometimes. He's going to lose the $150 less than one out of three times.
Anyway you must practice and judge your opponents to win a heads-up.I like very much this part of the game.I hope i was helpful.
 
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HUSNG Ryan

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I'd post some hands and ask for some advice heads up. You can gain a ton of edge (and thus value, given differences in 1st and 2nd place finishes) in tournaments and 6+ man games by learning to play much better heads up.

It may feel like luck, but the difference between winning 45% and 55% of the time is pretty remarkable.

Heads up also can help you improve your play in multi handed games (postflop mainly). Hand reading/hand range analysis improves so much as you improve in heads up.
 
SloPowers

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When I play heads up, I rarely fold preflop unless the villain goes all in or makes a huge bet and my cards are crap. You should be much more aggressive heads up - raise any pair and most aces regardless of flop... villain likely isn't calling unless he hit board and if he does then you have information and a decision to make. Put the decision making on villain!
 
Diogo Jorge

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In short play really aggressive, after the flop either raise or fold, try to limit flat calling. Your hand standards in heads up are really low you should play just about every hand. Pre flop calling is okay but don't pre flop call 10 hands then raise on the 11th that's a give away that your hand is big. Try to stay consistent every hand. If your opponent is really aggressive either become a calling station or play more aggressively. Whoever is more aggressive will have an edge. Basically what I'm saying is in heads up play you need AGGRESSION AGGRESSSION AGGRESSION! Aggression is key! Good Luck!

Even if you dont have high hands? Imagine if you have garbage hands like 10 times in a row... Should i be agressive at same?
 
Arjonius

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Even if you dont have high hands? Imagine if you have garbage hands like 10 times in a row... Should i be agressive at same?
It's not all about the absolute strength of your cards. What matters more is relative hand value, which means it's vital to adjust your hand valuation to take into account that there's only one opponent who is also going to be dealt poor or mediocre cards the majority of the time.
 
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KingDave13

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My only answer is it depends on your opponent. Aggression is key but you gotta learn when to shut down as well
 
punctual

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I would highly recommend Bill Chen's book on the "Mathematics of Poker" which does provide a good method for playing heads up when you are shortstacked. This is not to say that headsup holdem matches have been solved from the shortstack position but rather that such matches seem to be closer to solved than any other poker game.

The chances of having a decent hand headsup is pretty low so if you do have something, it makes sense to be very aggressive with it.

in general, headsup does seem to be more luck-based but if you follow the rules in Bill Chen's book, you will find a method that will at least allow you to recover from being shortstacked. Once you are no longer shortstacked, however, it becomes a coin-flip once again.
 
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HUSNG Ryan

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Don't just raise or fold, limping in position and flat calling OOP are very useful actions in short stack heads up play.

There is no real shortcut, there is a lot more to this part of the game than anyone really ever understood.

I've been a heads up sit and go player since 2007, and until maybe 2010 at the earliest, many people in our game (myself included) wrongfully assumed short stack areas had low edge.

It does have lower edge, but it plays out so fast that if you add up all the short stack heads up situations that you're ever in for 6 max, 9 man or turbo speed HU games, you'll quickly realize that even small improvements will make you a lot more money fast.

Like anything, you need to study good material for this portion of the game. You don't want to learn heads up play from a primary 6-9 man player, you want to learn from a heads up specialist. Just like I wouldn't want to learn MTTs from a primary HU player, even if they happen to do well overall in MTTs, they are not the specialist/expert.

There's a ton of good free material, videos, forums like these, etc. to help you improve, it's just a matter of putting in the time towards getting better heads up.
 
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Stryder

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Learn how your opponent plays and then exploit him in the most effective way possible. If your opponent is very tight, you should be raising every hand. If your opponent is very loose, tighten up a bit, but don't let him run all over you. Continuation bet a lot of flops and always use position to your advantage.
 
magicius

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Even if you dont have high hands? Imagine if you have garbage hands like 10 times in a row... Should i be agressive at same?

Today i lost AA vs K6s it happens, but i also won few hands with 67,9t etc... If they are too tight broaden your range... Basicly in Hu raise any pair,Ax and higher connectors

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RickAversion

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So, if playing an experienced player who knows to go Arrgo, just calll everything. Villain has air.
 
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