A MAJOR TELEVISION network aired the inaugural "National Heads Up Poker Championship," pitting 64 of the best players in the world against each other head to head in a bracket format. I absolutely loved the tournament because I believe that heads up poker is the most skill-oriented form of the game.
In some ways, heads up poker is less about playing the actual cards you are dealt and more about playing your opponent. The goal is to find your challenger's weaknesses and then exploit them. All the while, you're trying to mask your own strategy so that he doesn't figure you out.
When it comes to heads up play, there is one absolute: You really need to get in there and fight. Conservative play isn't effective at all in a heads up match. In a full ring game, with 9 or 10 players, sure, you can sit back and wait for premium cards if you like. If you are playing heads up, however, your starting hand requirements must be lowered considerably.
In fact, most Limit Hold'em experts agree that when battling heads up you should play well over 80 percent of the hands dealt to you. Contrast that to playing approximately 20 percent of the hands dealt to you in a full ring game. Nearly the same holds true in No Limit Hold'em, but the percentage may not be quite as high.
The key reason that you need to get more involved when playing heads up is that you're forced to ante up every single hand. The player with the dealer button must post the small blind while the other player puts up the big blind.
By the way, this is the only situation in Hold'em where the button is ever forced to act first. After the flop, play resumes as normal with the button acting last on every subsequent street.
The best way to improve your heads up game is to actually get your feet wet and play. You can do that on the Internet at numerous free sites, or if you're feeling adventurous you can play for real money. Of course, you can also just practice with friends.
Improving your heads up play will have a positive effect on your overall skill level, even at a full table. The decisions you are forced to make in heads up are often so much more complex than those you would ponder at a full table. Practicing these tough decisions makes the
routine decisions just that: routine. Imagine shooting hoops on a very small and tight rim. If you got adept doing that, then making baskets on a regular-sized rim would seem very easy to you.
When playing heads up, your main focus must be on what your opponent is doing. Is she playing weak or strong? Does she bluff too much or is she always betting only the strongest hands? The more questions you can successfully answer, the better profile you'll have on your opponent. Once a profile is established, it's then your job to devise a strategy that will best exploit your opponent's weakness. For example, if she folds too often on the flop then you should bluff more on the flop. Or, if she folds too much before the flop, you should raise more often prior to the flop. Conversely, if your opponent calls too often, you should bluff her less and bet your mediocre hands for more value.
There is one other key thing you need to focus on: Yourself. Do not allow yourself to fall into predictable patterns that your opponent will be able to exploit. You don't want to play every hand the same way. Use all of the tools in your arsenal: the check-raise, the slow play, coming over the top, the bluff raise on the turn, and even the smooth call on the flop. This is commonly known as mixing it up. Mixing it up keeps your opponent guessing, and that's exactly where you want him to be.
Here's one final thought on the game. You must avoid coming into a heads up match with a predetermined strategy. Until you have an idea as to how your opponent might play, that strategy of yours may be the wrong one. It's important to be able to adapt quickly to what the other player is throwing at you.
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