Many of the top-earning poker players devote their skills to heads-up matches . Facing just one opponent may feel intimidating to some.
Maybe it’s simply more comfortable to blend into the relative anonymity of a 6-max or full-ring table.
However, for those keen on maximizing profits, engaging in one-on-one poker could lead to much greater financial rewards.
This guide aims to assist you with that and will cover a range of essential topics:
Why Play Heads-Up?
The primary incentive for exploring heads-up poker is the significantly higher profit margins available. In today’s ring games, a player is considered 'adequate' if they achieve a win-rate of around 0 to 4bb per hundred hands.
Players achieving win-rates of 10bb/100 are viewed as exceptional or likely playing in much softer, often restricted environments.
- What about heads-up players?
It's not unusual for specialists in heads-up games to attain win-rates of between 10 and 30bb per hundred hands . The potential for increased profits is substantial, especially with wise opponent selection.
Heads-Up Opportunities in Ring Games
Instead of fully transitioning to heads-up play, a more accessible way to get started is to engage in heads-up games when the opportunity presents itself.
We might find ourselves in one of these two typical scenarios while playing online.
- Scenario 1 - Our ring game has just ended. There’s only us and another player who hasn't yet exited. A quick look at the lobby shows numerous nearly filled seats on other tables.
Many players might choose to leave and migrate to a table with more players. Why not hang around and try heads-up? This situation could be especially beneficial if our opponent appears to be inexperienced.
- Scenario 2 - We enjoy playing multiple tables but aren't able to find enough games available in the lobby to reach our usual number.
Many players might wait, grinding fewer tables while they look for a spot to open. This approach wastes valuable time. Why not jump into some empty tables and be prepared to play heads-up when another player comes along?
This not only helps us enhance our heads-up skills but also leads to potentially softer games and improved win rates.
Generally, starting a new table is preferable to waiting on a list for a table full of seasoned players.
This might surprise you, but a lot of regulars in ring games are hesitant to engage in heads-up matches. Therefore, we are more likely to encounter weaker opponents at our semi-filled table.
Opponent Selection
Our aim should be to play heads-up against less skilled opponents. Hopefully, we have a sense of which opponents are solid and who we can beat convincingly.
There can sometimes be a thin line between bum-hunting and table selection. Bum-hunting refers to a deliberate strategy of targeting very weak players exclusively at heads-up tables.
- Unfortunately, there are often no clear guidelines on where legitimate table selection (which is an advisable practice) crosses into bum-hunting (which is predatory behavior).
Just remember that poker rooms might be monitoring player behavior. Our focus should be on selecting tables wisely, rather than engaging in practices that could be seen as unethical.
The term bum-hunting tends to relate specifically to heads-up tables, making it less likely to apply in a ring game setting where other players can join at any moment.
Opponent Selection Is Essential
HU SNG vs HU Cash
Let’s imagine that we're considering leaving ring games behind entirely in favor of heads-up play.
- We generally have two options: HU SNGs or HU cash games .
Cash games are often preferable as they allow us to leverage our skill advantage more effectively. Once the blinds get low in a heads-up SNG, we enter push/fold mode, leaving little room for preflop maneuvering.
Although we can still carve out an edge this way, the advantages in push/fold preflop encounters tend to be smaller. The edge we could gain through deep stack postflop strategies in HU cash games is far more pronounced.
Another aspect to consider is that SNG strategies evolve throughout the match due to blind level changes. This can become especially tricky if we're multi-tabling, leading to different starting ranges based on the respective stack depths.
- Cash games tend to offer a more uniform strategy across the board since we usually start every cash game with 100bb , and we can easily rebuy if our stack goes below that.
Ultimately, our choice hinges on player traffic. If there are no heads-up cash games available, we should be open to engaging in SNGs.
In HU SNGs, we won’t have to worry about ICM considerations because of the ‘winner takes all’ format. They function similarly to cash games, except for the rising blind levels.
Rake Considerations
When considering low-limit heads-up games, it’s crucial to be aware of rake structures. While HU cash games at 100nl and above are typically viable, the same might not be true for lower-limit games.
- For instance, if a poker room applies the same rake structure to heads-up matches as it does for 6-max games, playing heads-up at lower stakes may not be viable due to heavier rakes in lower-limit games.
In 6-max or full ring games, we often find ourselves folding a great deal. When we finally enter a pot, it’s usually with a strong hand that gives us a decent chance of winning.
In heads-up play, however, we’ll find ourselves entering the pot over 50% of the time! This frequency means we end up paying a lot of rake for the chance to play numerous tight and ambiguous situations.
Rake fees for heads-up games should be significantly lower compared to 6-max games. It’s vital to ensure we’re not falling into a rake trap when playing heads-up at lower stakes.
In some circumstances, playing SNGs might be necessary if cash rake fees don’t make sense. Most modern poker rooms consider this, but every player should do their homework before joining a game.
Preflop Considerations - Ranges
Are you transitioning from a ring game background?
You may have invested considerable time in building and memorizing your ranges for various positions at the table.
The good news is that in heads-up play, there are only two positions. This greatly reduces the number of potential preflop situations.
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Heads-up Positions Explained Heads-up positions in poker can sometimes be perplexing. Playing heads-up is distinct from having the action folded to you in the SB at a ring game table. In heads-up action, the button serves as the small blind . (The BTN also pays the small blind). In a heads-up match, these two positions are interchangeable. The player out of position is called the big blind . The primary distinction from ring games happens after the flop. In a heads-up game, the small blind acts last postflop . (Remember, the small blind is also the button). Conversely, in a ring game, the small blind acts prior to the big blind, both preflop and postflop. |
Typically, we will either open from the BTN or defend from the BB while out of position.
So, at a minimum, we will need to consider the following –
- BTN open-raising range
- BB cold-call / 3bet range
- BTN call-3bet / 4bet range
- BB call-4bet / 5bet jam range
That’s the gist of it on a basic level! Traditional ring game configurations just don’t apply in a heads-up setting.
For instance, players in ring games dedicate quite a bit of time to strategizing how to approach 3-bet pots while in position as the aggressor.
- This situation doesn’t arise in heads-up matches unless the button specifically limp-raises preflop, which is a rare occurrence.
The two most common adjustments to the primary opening ranges are as follows.
- The opponent might alter their open-raise size on the button, affecting the range of hands we should choose to defend.
- Villain may decide to limp the button.
Most professional HU players avoid limping on the BTN, opting instead to open with a 70-80% range at a minimum open of 2bb. Opening with 70-80% can indicate respect for the opponent. If our adversary is particularly ineffective, it may even be wise to open with 100% of holdings.
Traditionally, professional HU players would initially employ a 100% button opening range and then tighten up as needed.
However, modern professional players have moved away from this methodology as a 100% opening range is wider than most theoretical frameworks imply.
Here are some fundamental guidelines to help us build our preflop ranges -
| Scenario | Range Guidelines |
|---|---|
| BTN Opening Range | Open 70-80% of holdings for a min-raise (2bb) |
| BB Cold-Call / 3bet | When cold calling, use around 50% of hands and 3-bet about 15%. (Reduce cold calling against opens greater than 2bb) |
| BTN Call-3bet / 4bet | Continue with approximately 45% of hands, mostly by calling but occasionally by 4-betting. (For example, Flat 70%, 4bet 30%) |
| BB Call-4bet / Jam | Continue around 45% of the time versus the 4-bet. Execute a 5-bet all-in with strong premium hands such as TT+ and AQs+. |
Postflop Considerations – Strategic Adjustments
In heads-up games, both players typically reach the flop with a wider range than average. Yet, the fundamental postflop considerations in heads-up matches are surprisingly similar to those in ring games.
A good portion of our existing skills from postflop play in ring games should easily apply.
- The most notable difference is that both players become acquainted with each other’s game styles much more rapidly.
This situation affords an excellent chance to promptly develop reads and exploit our opponent’s weaknesses.
Of course, our opponent can potentially do the same. However, don’t overestimate this since many players either fail to adjust properly or make poor adjustments.
Besides, consider the following:
Suppose our opponent is capable of making quick and accurate exploitative adjustments to our style of play. In that case, we may want to reconsider whether this is the best possible opponent.
Even if we hold some sort of advantage , it’s likely to be minor.
No matter who we face, it’s generally a mistake to assume that we should play a balanced strategy .
Our competitor is going to witness a significant amount of our playstyle. Therefore, it may be wise to maintain a conventional approach in typical preflop scenarios. However, beyond that, we should actively seek to take advantage of our rivals to the fullest extent possible.
For instance, let's say we decided to 3-bet every single hand we hold against our opponent’s button open. They would likely catch on rather quickly, realizing that we were attempting to take advantage of them, and could respond accordingly.
- However, if we purposefully structured our river triple-barrelling range after preflop 3-betting to include a skewed ratio of bluffs and strong hands, tailored to the specific opponent we are facing,
- our adversary might take much longer—or perhaps never—realizing that we were capitalizing on their weaknesses.
- This aspect of the game tree doesn't appear as often, which increases the likelihood that our strategies remain unnoticed.
Therefore, even when facing skilled opponents at higher stakes, our primary objective should be to identify their vulnerabilities and exploit them.
The only distinction is that our strategies become more nuanced when we are up against tougher competition.
Summary of Heads-up Play
The key takeaway here is that we can significantly enhance our win rate by embracing heads-up play as part of our overall strategy. Let's consider that we don't strictly concentrate on heads-up.
- Players in ring games can boost their profitability by engaging in heads-up matches against weaker opponents and initiating new tables when current ones reach capacity.
In the worst-case scenario, we may lose several stacks and conclude that heads-up play isn't for us. Conversely, engaging in heads-up poker could turn out to be one of the most beneficial choices we make.