Heads Up

I dont find alot of great information out there about heads up play. you get the standard be aggressive and raise in position. but not a whole lot else other than to play the player. Anybody want to chime in on what has been successful for you playing heads up?

I used to play HU really aggressive and I realized I will be dependent on luck a lot. You can get sucked out on a lot and it causes a lot of swings in your bankroll. So, now, I play tighter preflop and more aggressive post flop. I start tight to set up a tight image, then I loosen up and get more aggressive as I collect info on my opponent.

I used to play aggressive too. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. I think its important to stay patient. Most poker tournaments online or in person for that matter are long and drawn out, the more patient you are the more likely you are to wear out your opponent.

Mahsa dMo said:

I used to play HU really aggressive and I realized I will be dependent on luck a lot. You can get sucked out on a lot and it causes a lot of swings in your bankroll. So, now, I play tighter preflop and more aggressive post flop. I start tight to set up a tight image, then I loosen up and get more aggressive as I collect info on my opponent.

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That's about what I narrowed my HU skills down to as well. I usually only play .10/.25 tables though. Sometimes .25/.50.

The most important secret is that we play 1 vs 1. And that's why our hand will be winning in 50% of cases, in contrast to 9 max table, where we have only 11%. Accordingly, we must expand the range of hands.

Heads up is a very psychological game. You have to take into account the style of the opponent and adapt your game, being more or less aggressive. But do not let him steal the blinds for free, that's the secret!

The general strategy of the game heads up:
1. A or K with any card - very strong hands that need to be played aggressively.
2. Hands with J or Q are sufficient for a minimum raise preflop.
3. Any pair will be stronger than your opponent's hand in most cases.
4. The top pair on the flop is a strong hand, which can be compared with the set at the full table. Do not worry about the kicker: losing the kicker with the top pair - the situation is rare.

I think u play to the style of your opponent if he play aggressive then sit back and trap them

When I play heads up I tend to stick with the given points, be aggressive and play the player. But as I play that style I'm also playing patiently, waiting for an opportunity to take my opponent out of the game.

My friend says that this kind of poker he always plays agressive, but sometimes it does not have any result!

Nowadays, I do not know what happens or are better players or that I can not impose on myself

Playing hand-ups I always try to build my strategy from the game of the enemy.
To improve the game in the hand-up you need a lot of practice.

I think

stil370 said:

I dont find alot of great information out there about heads up play. you get the standard be aggressive and raise in position. but not a whole lot else other than to play the player. Anybody want to chime in on what has been successful for you playing heads up?

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The best teacher is experience, of course for real money. Read the book and you will succeed. But remember, Heads-up is a subtle level of the game, and the percentage win is 50% -50%

stil370 said:

I dont find alot of great information out there about heads up play. you get the standard be aggressive and raise in position. but not a whole lot else other than to play the player. Anybody want to chime in on what has been successful for you playing heads up?

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i would suggest reading some articles/forums on opening ranges, limping ranges, shoving stacks, etc also you could try youtube.

Attention with self confidence this always

building tight image at start and graduatly expand card range.

For more detailed information about HU strategy I would suggest going over to 2+2 or HUSNG.com, on cardschat there doesn't seem to be a massive HU following (please correct me if i'm wrong), but I dont see too many decent HU threads here(recently anyway), unfortunately.

I think for heads up there is no hand you cannot play, with that being said i would not raise with 72 off but id call with it for sure. I think some bluffing is definitely needed in the heads up game, but not over 33%of the time. I think feeler bets are also warranted at the beginning of the game to see how your opponent plays. I would advise to be patient and to mix up your gameplay so its harder for your opponent to get a read on you. Other than that I say best of luck and let the best man win.

I would advise you to check out Collin Moshmans book called Heads Up.
The thing is your strategy should change as your stack changes.
I also sensed that my HU play was the weakest part of my game.
In a STT i would mostly finish second or third and i didnt want that to happen when i get the chance to play HU in a MTT tournament.
Reading "Winning Poker Tournaments- one hand at a time" vol1 and vol2 and Collin Moshamns "Heads Up" and "Sit and Go strategy" is the best thing you can do for your game.
Its a big concept and nobody can just say do that and do this and boom you now know how to play heads up.
Also watching Twitch streamers like Jaime Staples and Parker "TonkaaaP" Talbot can be beneficial too.

It's more about your opponent play. Not about your play. In HU 60% or even 80% of bluff. Not because of being aggressive but because it's hard to catch something.
I played with aggressive players. If I catched something I won fast. If they catched something they won fast.
raise in position? there is no position. You play almost every hand, almost any hand.

agressive playing once i was at my local casino. it was about 4AM table broke and i have about 1300 in chips it was 3 people left the 3rd player didn't want to play the other guy said me and u head up. which i never done specially live real money i said okay. He was Asian very aggressive player i was thinking he its going to take all my money but i didn't gave up. he won all my chips i pull out more money i think 500 then i won a few hands and was about the same in chips now. I get pocket 10's he has JJ's flop is 10 10 J he is betting i am only calling. he bets 300 i call then he goes 600 on the river he bets more i push all in and take all his money he got up and said quads, quads i had him cover he had left maybe 1 5dollar chip.....

ya heads up bit me in the behind earlyer in my poker life playing heads up in sunday million before , no heads up xp. I would say to anyone who starts poker should learn heads up poker early on for when you get in those spots you can win a lot more and will increase your bottom line by a hudge factor , it cost me 60k because i was unexperinced 1st and 2nd place difference , buy some heads up books and play some heads up games and if by the end of your results if you are winning more then 50% of the time heads up then you are doing a good job but if you are only winning 45% of the time you should put somemore leg work in for those deep mtt runs

Very aggressive, but not foolish

Aggression works for me, as its only 2handed majority of the hands dealt are gonna be similar often and its just who plays those cards the best, so agression works for me

I think their is a lack of information on HU poker because it`s such a `feel`situation,you bet to get info,if he calls,he has a piece of the flop,perhaps a draw or over cards,if u have air,check,does he bet?or check it thru,then your 2nd or 3rd pair may b good,,,,and so on,it`s fast poker mostly,esps if both players have experience,but as far as strategy,their isn`t much in my opinion Cheers