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Playing Texas Hold 'em Heads-up

Having a Chance to Win it All

Feb 4, 2009 Matthew McFarland

Playing heads-up Hold 'em utilizes a player's entire skill set. You need to be deceptive, and show selective agressiveness and a great knowledge of your fellow player.

In order to have gotten heads-up, you’ve made it to the final table, you’ve kept your emotions in check, you’ve minded your “p’s and q’s,” and you’re one of two players left sitting at the table. Playing heads-up is a completely different battle. Everything changes, card selection, strategy, betting patterns, bluffing, everything.

The first hand of heads-up competition sets the tone for the rest of the match. It is much easier to make a bad play with good cards. A-K in heads-up play is a monster hand until your opponent flops two pair or trips with his 6-2 offsuit. Take into consideration the wide variety of cards your opponent may play before making a stone cold bluff on the flop with a supposed monster.

Hand Variety

Analysis and common sense suggest that pairs are better than connecting cards in heads-up play. Obviously, the higher the cards, the better chance you have of winning. Any Ace becomes playable, as two are highly unlikely while heads-up. You should also increase the gaps of the connectors you play to include all straight possibilities, as a flop of rags can easily turn into a back door straight by the river.

Hands You Should Think About Playing

Any Ace
2-2 – 7-7
K-9 – 6-2

Being Aggressive

Aggression is essential to playing heads-up. Raising pre-flop with low pairs and offsuit connecting cards forces the action and may cause your opponent to make a mistake. The blinds are usually so big by this point that they will generally make the call if they have anything remotely playable.

Disguising Your Hand

Deception is key to gaining the advantage. Disguising your hand is important in any Poker game, but slow playing that pair of deuces while your opponent is being aggressive with high connectors is even more important. Most hands heads-up are played under a veil anyway as any two random cards give you a 50-50 chance of winning.

Know Your Man

With such odds, it becomes increasingly tough to put your opponent on a hand, and that is where knowing your man comes into play. Varying your play is vital, especially if you recognize patterns in your opponents. Having the guts to call his raise is futile unless you know he is bluffing. Pay attention to the clues he gives, and only make moves your instincts say are right the first time. Don’t second-guess yourself out of a potentially big pot.

Being able to incorporate these techniques into your game will allow you to play heads-up with confidence, and with that confidence you'll start winning a lot more Poker tournaments.

The copyright of the article Playing Texas Hold 'em Heads-up in Card/Board/Lawn Games is owned by Matthew McFarland. Permission to republish Playing Texas Hold 'em Heads-up in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.