Do you enjoy playing Hold ’em heads up? I do if I can play a tournament every other week. It’s a lot of fun and if I can make a nice return on the entry fee, it’s a great way to improve my poker business.
But it definitely makes the poker gaming experience a little different when playing the game heads up. In cases where two good players are going at it, it almost comes down to a tennis match. You know, deal with both players to their left first.
Your poker heads up strategy needs to be adaptable to meet different opponents from different positions. If you are matching your opponents up against the same range as in a regular heads up game, you are making a huge mistake. You are predictable and so are your opponents.
But if you’re uneasy about playing HU Poker online, you’re in luck. One of the best ways to improve your poker game is to learn from the ground up. That means, don’t limit your improvement by coming up with a starting hand when you “plan” to play heads up. Face the fact that you will need to learn how to win with bad hands, hands where you have very little of a chance of winning.
Winning QQdewa heads up is more about the long haul, being able to be in control of your own play and those of your opponents. How else do you think you can achieve the highest positions in tournaments? How many heads up matches have you lost in the past? Take the time to realize that poker heads up isn’t the same as playing NL Hold em heads up, and you’ll start winning immediately.
The thing to remember is that HU Poker online is far less volatile than the typical NL Hold em game. This is because the differences are much smaller. You’ll notice the level of skill and confidence required to win in heads up, compared to NL Hold em. In fact, I’ve won as many heads up tournaments as I’ve won NL Hold em ones. It’s a great way to improve your game and become a better player.
Another factor in poker heads up is that it’s much easier to find games with a lower buy in. This is good for a beginner who is trying to determine his/her bankroll. Suppose you enter a casino and every penny counts, but then you jump on a table where the maximum buy in is a dollar. Can you really play at this table? Unlike in NL Hold em, you’re forced to play aggressive in heads up situations. You can’t be conservative in such situations.
Many poker players will claim that heads up is much easier to win, than the average no limit tournament. This is only partially true. You can win more money in heads up play, however, than you can in tournaments. The reason for this is simple. You can afford to gamble and try to take bad beats, because your entire stack is at risk in a heads up game. Many times you’ll take a big hit, but at the same time, not be behind too much. That’s why many players like playing heads up, over NL Hold em heads up. It’s easy to become behind and stay there. It’s also a lot less stressful than playing tournaments where you have to start all over again.
But, what is more important to emphasize about heads up poker play, is to study your opponents as much as your opponents study you.At the end of the day, the best way to improve as a poker player is to know your own strengths and to adjust as necessary to your opponents. In fact, this is the most important thing to remember about any heads up poker strategy. “Play defensive first, play aggressive later.” Think about it.