In order to become a more successful poker player in the long term, particularly if you play a lot of single table tournaments, it is important to master the art of Heads Up play. Turning those second place finishes into victories can make a significant difference to your bankroll.
Experience is a useful attribute in any form of poker and Heads Up play is no exception, but for the less experienced player, here are a few tips to improve your one on one play.
Be Aggressive: This is absolutely fundamental in becoming a skilled and successful Heads Up player. Play a lot of hands, because all poker holdings increase in value against fewer opponents and play them strongly, because the chances are no-one has hit the flop and the first player to bet will win. You might have easily folded your offsuit rag ace when the table was nine handed, but against one random hand, that looks a far more attractive holding. Any pair on the flop will usually be enough to win and it’s not uncommon to see a pot taken down with a high card hand. Don’t let your opponent limp in from the small blind, always raise when they try it. A weaker player may start to fold their hands without a contest and even a better player won’t like calling a raise with nothing, when out of position.
Mix It Up: That might sound contradictory after being told to use constant aggression, but don’t forget to mix your poker play up from time to time. Raising every single hand will soon become obvious and your opponent will wise up. Slowplay a big hand and show it down, to keep them guessing; anything to discourage them from playing back at you.
Play Position: As with any form of poker, position is crucial as if affords the opportunity to steal pots. In a Heads Up situation, constantly stealing from your sole opponent will soon wear down their chip stack. Raising when in position builds a bigger pot for you to win when you hit and to continuation bet at when you don’t hit.
Watch And Learn: Observe how your opponent is playing now that the game is Heads Up. If they are inexperienced, they may fail to loosen up sufficiently and can be bullied easily. If they are more experienced at Heads Up poker, they might completely change their style and any reads you had before may now be useless. Learn what size of bet it takes to make your opponent fold and use that information to keep them under constant pressure. If your opponent keeps on folding, keep on raising.
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