Heads-Up Play

[brandonkremb]

I've been playing microstakes cash games now online for quite some time. There has been times where all the seats would be filled so I start a new table. I find myself playing heads-up often and it has had a dramatic effect on my win rate. How should i play heads up in a cash game? I know heads-up is the purest form of poker and I'm very aggressive. Sometime's I can't find the line between a straight up maniac and solid aggression.

 

[karlus185]

I also like to improve my heads up games, some articles or even course to help in the way I play, because in the way I'm playing this is very much decreasing my game in that part.

 

[adriantempo]

You can always sitout and wait for players.

 

[CallmeFloppy]

I can't say the right way to play heads up in a cash game other than aggressively. You really just need to play very close attention to what your opponent is doing, how and why to base future decisions. Same with how you are playing so you can use your own tendencies against them when they think they have you figured.
Pay attention too for when they get frustrated or even feel things are too good to be true and change their play. I mostly see the frustration changes but have seen the latter when they are afraid to mess up what they built.

 

[paulezzz]

Re

I've been playing microstakes cash games now online for quite some time. There has been times where all the seats would be filled so I start a new table. I find myself playing heads-up often and it has had a dramatic effect on my win rate. How should i play heads up in a cash game? I know heads-up is the purest form of poker and I'm very aggressive. Sometime's I can't find the line between a straight up maniac and solid aggression.

Agressive play in heads up play should be fine. Try to make your opponent really believe you have something. This you can also achieve by folding more often with weak hands in the sb. You get a lot more credit this way. Also when you are aggresive and your opponent calles easy on a flop bet then try to check raise him/her in this position with at least an ace in your hand. Just how I play heads up

 

[azforlife]

Heads up is where it's at as in where the money's at in MTTS, tournaments so it's good that you keep getting it �� There was a heads up challenge here, may help a lot! Keep practicing, very important for your overall poker game!

 

[pedrovitorcosta]

I'm really lose a lot in head'up... but watching some tournaments and practicing i'm become better in the game...

 

[yunir3262]

please tell me what books you can read on poker?

 

[DS3]

It is difficult, especially if (like me) you enjoy playing MTT's and so making a final table is a task and getting heads up is infrequent.


One avenue to use is pokerstars play money to practice heads up. The low level buy ins can be a farce but the higher you go (if you have a play money bankroll) then players get more serious. No matter it is play money, it's invaluable to undergo the one on one dynamic repeatedly.


That said, in a real world, heads up at a tourney end, I keep reminding myself, chill, remember we are both receiving strong and weak hands and to play any decent hand aggressively.


As above, I do not agree with playing any two cards though. Tossing a garbage hand away with some regularity will raise the intimidation factor when you are I a hand.

 

[E V A N]

I don’t know why but I find heads up strategy the hardest topic to come by. A majority of poker advice and articles are geared towards full tables. I find this strange considering learning how to close out the final position is crucial in winning.

 

[Loky13]

When playing heads up,the range i raise with grows significantly,you have to concentrate and try to see a pattern in the way your opponent plays

 

[Aremaz95]

in the face to face you should try to bluff a lot, attack a lot and try to fool your opponent, let him win some hands teaching your cards that will harm him because it is the perfect trap to give him KO

 

[iosif18]

bbb

In a heads up way , i think agressiveness is the best solution to win .Shove a flush draw over poting etc ...Good luck.

 

[vadimcs1495]

cache game interesting in it wins the one who is working hard on himself. It is sad after 5-8 hours of the game MTT tournament to go to the cache and lose a couple of dozen bb. it is sad . You need to work out a strategy and stick to it. Good luck everyone

 

[hackmeplz]

Don't think of it as being "more aggressive", think of it as much wider ranges. For example, do you play the same hands UTG as the button? Because ranges are wider you can value-bet wider, bluff more, and call more. So like say you raise UTG with AQs and get 3-bet. You're not folding because you're UTG, you're folding because you have the bottom of your range in that situation. Now if you have J9o HU and raise preflop and get 3-bet, you actually have a relatively strong hand for your range so can call, and are feeling pretty good about flopping any pair.

Obviously there's a lot to it and no one's going to be able to give you "the secret" on a poker forum, I can only say play it a lot, study what the opponents who are beating you are doing, and after a bit you'll begin to learn the ranges for HU.

 

[delirium1129]

Heads up results are totally depends on opp reading. Cash heads up is rly difficult because the effective stack is 100bb and preflop charts aren't so important. HU players have a high volumes of VPIP and PFR. To beat it you have to work a lot with the postflop programs and to be concentrated on an opponent. Vs good player you won't win all-ins you main profit should be without all-ins. And let me guess: you'r oriented on the good preflop opening and valuable all-in?))

 

[charliej]

The only time I like to play heads up is at the final table of tournament.