In heads up poker, the average hand is J-7 offsuit. If you look down at J-7, you are exactly 50 percent to win against an unknown hand. When heads-up against an opponent, a poker player must rewire the ideology on what hands are playable. Connected off-suit cards become playable hands pre-flop, while J♦️3♣️ or 9♦️4♣️ become candidates for play depending on the opponent and current chip stack. A good heads-up poker player will assess the opponents mindset.

1. How To Win Heads Up Poker
2. Poker How To Win Heads Updates
3. Poker How To Win Heads Update
4. How To Win Heads Up Poker Online
5. Poker How To Win Heads Updated
6. Poker How To Win Heads Upgrade

Getting to the final stage of a tournament and reaching heads up play is satisfying because you already achieved two of your sub-goals, the first reaching the final table, and the second reaching the top 3.

At the very least you know your going to get well paid even if you finish 2nd and now you have a shot at the top prize and the glory of the tournament win. It’s always great to get there but I don’t even think about it at all until the tournament is done.

You’ll have time later to reflect on how you think you did and decide then that you are happy with 2nd place. Of course everyone wants 1st but after a tournament is done I try to always look at the positives and analyse where I might improve my game. In short I’ll take the money, learn from any mistakes I made or equally as important things I did that worked and move onto the next tournament.

Getting an Edge over your Opponent

I can tell you that I am more relaxed at this stage than I am at any stage earlier in the tournament. For the reasons above but also because I have had some time now to study my opponent and get a feel for his play. I believe that because I am such an observant player this gives me an edge.

Once you’ve reached heads up you have had some time to observe and analyse this player and hopefully already have some idea in mind of a good strategy to counter the style of player he/she is. I think each time you reach heads up it is a unique situation and should be treated as such.

In heads up play you usually don’t get a lot of strong hands. But equally you are only playing against one single opponent, which means that the value of starting hands increase significantly. Suddenly any hand that contains an Ace is a very strong hand when earlier in the tournament against multiple opponents you wouldn’t use it to wipe your …… well you get the picture.

I like to play any ace hard with a healthy raise (usually 3 times the big blind because it is so big at this point). I also like to play connectors and any two paint cards together. I will also consider any hand with a King in it.

This is where you have to be flexible as a player

By that I mean you have to be able to change your style depending on your opponent. Some opponents I have played will do nothing but push or fold heads up. To me that tells me my opponent is not to confident in his post flop play and relies on blind aggression.

That’s ok, that’s exactly what I might do if I thought I was up against a much better player. If that happens and my opponent is pushing or folding, depending on my chip stack of course, I will wait for a strong hand and just call or check hoping he might push.

By strong hand I mean any Ace, KQ, KJ, QJ, any pairs … Chances are my opponent will push if he has a relatively good hand. With an opponent like this luck takes a bigger part in deciding the winner.

On the other side of the coin, if I have an opponent who is willing to play post flop or seems a little tight I tend to raise more pots because if he calls you know he has got something. It is likely though that you can push him off more pots and pick up a fair amount of chips that way.

To me the trick is you have to be flexible going to heads up play. You have to adapt your play so that your chances of winning increase. It also keeps your opponents guessing. If you have suddenly started raising and pushing when most of the tournament you’ve been playing tight and aggressive your opponent won’t know what to do next. Keep him always guessing. Make your opponent react to your moves.

Going Head to Head

Aggression is important in heads up poker. Usually the most aggressive player will have the advantage in a heads up battle. But it must be used wisely.

Blinds are large at this stage and picking up more uncontested pots than your opponent will soon put you in the driving seat. Even if he plays back at you from time to time, your profits from previous hands should cover it.

I like to be aggressive before the flop, with the intention of either picking up the pot uncontested or being in the driving seat going into a flop where I know my opponent is going to miss two thirds of the time and I can put more pressure on him on the flop.

By aggression I mean either throwing your hand away or putting in a raise to play a hand. In most situations I don’t like just calling in a heads up hand, as that leaves my opponent in the driving seat and makes me work a lot harder during the hand to get information from him (how do you know if a bet on the flop is a continuation bet or showing real strength?).

As I said when playing heads up you usually get a lot of junk and so is your opponent so your definition of a strong hand changes, as it does from stage to stage. The usually premium hands A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K are joined by any pair, any good A-x hand and also any good K-x hand. I will also use connector cards like 10-9, J-10 etc. to raise with.

If I am the aggressor before the flop then I am going to continue to be the aggressor after the flop. If my opponent calls or plays back at me then I will try and work out his likely hand based on his actions and the information I know about how he is playing.

If I hit anything on the flop then I know I am probably in a strong position, but I will run through all possibilities in my head. In heads up play, even just hitting middle or bottom pair can put you way into the lead.

If my opponent is a tight player then I will be relentless and a constant bully. I hate bullys in real life, but in poker it is just part of being a good player.

Bullying does not mean Bluffing

Please note, by bullying I do not mean bluffing. I never bluff heads up. I have just been looked up to many times in the past and lost. I have totally eliminated bluffing when heads up and have seen an improvement in my results.

I will use continuation bets after the flop to see if my opponent has missed the flop (which I guess is a form of bluffing), but if my opponent is calling me then I will only continue on the turn and river if I have a hand that I believe is in the lead.

Big Chip Disadvantage

If you are at a big chip disadvantage to your opponent (say 3 to 1 or 4 to 1) then I would advocate just pushing all in pre-flop with any good hand. You need to turn this situation around, and the best way to do that is to use all the fold equity available to you and put your opponent to the test over and over again.

He will be wary about giving chips to you and letting you back into the game so he may find it hard to call your all in bets. If he doesn’t call then the large blinds you pick up will soon start to turn the tides. If he does then the chances are you will still have a decent % chance of winning the hand and doubling up, even if he is favourite and you have to get lucky.

I’ve been heads up several times with a tight player who is content to see his/her chips blinded off until they have to push with any two cards. I ask you what is the sense in that?

Big Chip Lead

How To Win Heads Up Poker

Consequently if you are in the chip lead by the same margin then you have to protect against your opponent doing just this. I suggest going for the win, don’t be worried about losing your chip advantage, get in with the aggression before your opponent does.

Again I would pressure my opponent for a preflop decision by going all in. Every decision he/she makes is now a decision for their tournament life.

Go for the Win

There are several ways to approach heads up. Hopefully you have some information on the player you are up against and can use that to your advantage. If not I usually find that preflop aggression has served me well. Always make your opponent react to your moves, and make the decisions. Be in control of your opponent and put all the hard decisions on them.

Poker How To Win Heads Updates

In poker tournaments, I believe it is so beneficial to be the one acting, forcing your opponents to make the decision, giving them the opportunity to make a mistake, tiring them out. Be proactive not reactive. Reactive usually costs you chips and money. The worst thing you can be in poker is predictable!

I hope you have enjoyed this How to Win a Poker Tournament Guide and have learnt something from it. No doubt you will add to the strategy I have shown you and over time develop your own version of it and that is the correct thing to do. Learn what works for you and what doesn’t and adjust your strategy accordingly.

I’d love to hear any success stories in the comments below. It took a lot of effort writing this guide and it would be great to hear that it has helped somebody.

Good Luck, and see you at the final table.

Next in Series:

Section Navigation

Home: How to Win a Poker Tournament

• Trust & Security

  I'll only recommend Safe & Trusted sites with a proven track record

• By Game Type

  Different rooms are better for different game types & stakes

• Beginner Friendly

  I'll find you a site with players of a similar skill level

• Promotions

  I'll find you the best value Promotions, Bonus & Freebies!

[nrelate-related]

Top 10 Heads Up Poker Tips

If you ask the average poker player what the weakest part of their game is, and you will likely hear that it’s their Heads-up Play. Playing Heads up poker is a part of your game that you must get comfortable playing, and eventually learn to master. Playing heads up in Sit and Go Tournaments or Multi-Table Tournaments should be your goal. You cannot win these Tournaments unless you play heads up, and win.

Below, you will find a list of tips that will be of immense value to all heads up poker players who are looking to make improvements to their own game.

Heads Up Poker Tip #1 – Open up your game

Heads up poker is a very different beast to 6max and full ring games. Because there is only two players at the table, it means you are in the blinds every hand, so you can’t sit around patiently waiting for a premium hand, if you did your opponent would run over you. Due to the different dynamics of HU games, you should open up your starting hand requirements by playing more hands in the big blind, and pretty much playing every single hand when you’re the dealer.

Heads Up Poker Tip #2 – Aggression

Aggression wins heads up poker games. You don’t have to invest a lot of money into the pot unless it’s worth it because you’ll get to play so many hands against the opponent that you’ll get better opportunities to win their stack. View heads up poker as a marathon, it’s not a sprint. An aggressive game can win lots of small pots, and your table image will eventually lure your opponent in, giving you opportunities to trap with a big hand. Practicing heads up poker is crucial if you want to improve this form of the game, and it will help you to pick your spots of when you should be more aggressive.

Heads Up Poker Tip #3 – Feel out your opponent

My general rule of thumb when just starting a heads up poker game against an unknown player I have never met is to play fairly tight against them early on until I have figured out their playing style and tendencies. I think it’s best to avoid big confrontations during the early stages of the heads up battle, until you have better reads on your opponent.

Heads Up Poker Tip #4 – Mixing up your game

As you observe your heads up opponents to try and figure out their playing style, keep in mind they are trying to figure out your game too. Therefore, you don’t want to play in a predictable manner, since it will make it easy for your opponents to play against you. Changing up the way you play and doing your best to avoiding being predictable will put some question marks in your opponent’s head, because they won’t know exactly what to expect from you next. You can mix up your game by changing your bet sizes, or changing the starting hands you choose to raise/re-raise with.

Heads Up Poker Tip #5 – Change your playing style

Another good way to be less predictable in heads up poker cash games is by switching gears during the session. If you have been playing snug and only raising premium hands, you can amp up your levels of aggression and start playing really loose and aggressive, until your opponent starts adjusting to your play. This can work so effectively in heads up poker because many players will try and figure out your playing style early on in the session and assume that’s your playing style that you never deviate from all throughout the heads up game. This presents you with an excellent opportunity to profit from this situation

Heads Up Poker Tip #6 – Don’t limp in the small blind

At least you shouldn’t be doing it very often: either fold or raise from the small blind. You don’t have position, so the main aim is to win most of these hands pre-flop. If you limp in, it’s highly likely the BB will raise you anyway since you have shown weakness. The one exception to this strategy is if you wake up with a monster hand like Kings or Aces.

Heads Up Poker Tip #7 – Slow play against aggressive players

This strategy will work in heads up games when you’re playing against a maniac. If you have a big hand, you can fake weakness, allowing the overly aggressive players to hang themselves True to their form, once you set the trap, he or she will go all-in on a bluff, and you’ll have won their stack.

Heads Up Poker Tip #8 – Play your draws aggressively

Poker How To Win Heads Update

Play flush draws and straight draws aggressively in heads up games, because aggression gives those odds of making your hand a much greater value with folding equity throw into the mix, which is of immense value against only one opponent. Even hands like gutshot straight draws can be good to be aggressive with at the right times.

Heads Up Poker Tip #9 – Know when you’re beat

How To Win Heads Up Poker Online

For the most part, small ball poker is best in heads up poker cash games. Don’t look to build big pots before the flop unless you have a premium hand. Remember, minimizing losses is what separates the good players, from great players. If you play poker long enough, then you will end up in a position where you know when you are beat, it’s these times that you must learn to have the discipline to let your hands go.

Poker How To Win Heads Updated

Heads Up Poker Tip #10 – Invest in a good Heads up poker book

Poker How To Win Heads Upgrade

If you’re still a novice at playing heads up poker games, reading a poker strategy book dedicated to this specific format of the game will improve your game drastically, allowing you to gain insight from players who are beating this game.