Many players can handle a full ring game, but reaching a final showdown against a single opponent can be a stressful adventure. Being good at heads-up poker, where you play against one other player, is what separates poker GOATs from merely competent players. In fact, pros go head-to-head regularly as a way to call each other out and determine whose skills are superior. If you want to win online poker tournaments, you’re going to have to hone your one-on-one game sooner than later so that you’re ready for that final table.
Key 1: Weaponizing the Button
In heads-up poker, it is essential to regularly be on the attack. While full ring games often require players to be patient and pick their spots to get active, heads-up poker is a different beast. You can’t afford to be passive. Your opponent can quickly take your stack.
The basic strategy is that you need to raise on the button. This will allow you to steal your opponent’s blind in a significant percentage of hands. And even if it doesn’t, you’ve taken the initiative and will likely be in the driver’s seat on the flop as well.
Surprisingly, your exact hand often matters less than your position and aggression. Out of position, opponents usually defend with a narrow range. If the flop comes rags or brings a scare card, you can keep betting. In heads-up play, bets and raises are about pressure and perception. Opponents rarely want to keep calling from out of position, and much of their preflop calling range will miss the board. That gives you plenty of opportunities to win pots through well-timed aggression.
It’s all about taking control of hands. While this wouldn’t be super profitable in ring games (because players would show up with too many big hands), it works quite well when you have an isolated opponent.
Key 2: Throwing Out Starting Standards
This brings up the second key: forget waiting for premium cards. They aren’t going to come often enough. If you’re against an aggressive opponent, you will get run over. You’ll be feeding them your blinds the whole time you wait for decent cards. Remember: in heads-up poker, it’s less about the cards than in a full ring game.
This means that Ax, Kx, and the like become decent, playable hands. You’ve probably got the high card, and that’s probably enough to give you the early lead in the hand. This is all you need to justify some aggression in heads-up poker.
Example: K5 in the BB
Say you’re playing in the big blind with K5s. Your opponent is on the button and raises preflop, and you call. The flop has a king and a few lower cards. You now have the top pair and have a strong probability of having the best hand.
You check, anticipating that your opponent will c-bet (make a “continuation bet,” an often-expected bet that naturally follows the player’s preflop aggression). Why not check raise a bit and build the pot while you have the best of it? On the turn, if a brick comes, you can lead out nice and strong with a 2/3 pot bet. The opponent will also fold with underpairs and much of their range. You can probably scoop the pot easily there.
Key 3: Know Thy Foe
Beating heads-up poker matches requires exploiting your opponent’s weakness. If they keep folding to 3-bets (i.e., re-raises), that’s what you’re going to take advantage of. Put the pressure on them and see if you can keep holding them down. If you overdo it, they may snap and shove on you, so you need to be a bit measured. Some well-timed 3-bets when you think the opponent is ready to fold, however, should be a ready weapon in your arsenal.
What about players who check/fold when they miss the turn? Again, use it to your advantage. Steal pots when the opponent has indicated they are done with the hand.
Example: Opponent Can’t Deal with Big River Bets
Let’s say you’re on the button with QJs. You’ve noticed that this opponent can weather flop and turn action, but rarely makes a big call on the river. This means that you can bet straight and flush draws that you pick up in this hand, knowing that the river is where you make your money. If you bet the flop and turn, you build the pot. If the fifth card makes your hand, you’re happy. You bet and try to get pairs to call you. If the fifth card is a miss, you can still consider moving all in to get that fold you think your opponent is going to make.
You know the opponent plays scared, so use that to your advantage. The only problem is, you’re going to need to find your own courage to put it all on the line in a situation like that. The good news is: with solid strategic reason to think a big river bet is the right play, you should be able to quiet your fear and make a great move.
Big Takeaway: Play the Player
The big takeaway here is that heads-up poker is about playing your position, and the player in front of you, not the cards. The cards are somewhat secondary to the mind games and pressure you need to use to get a win. This is what every tournament comes down to, so if you want to become a winning tournament player who can take the top spot and scoop the big prize, you must learn to play well heads-up.
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