Poker Veteran of 50 Years: 'Playing Heads-Up Poker'

“Heads-up poker is the purest form of the game. It’s all about reading your opponent, not your cards.”  —Phil Ivey

Playing heads-up is a one-on-one challenge

Playing heads-up is a one-on-one challenge that provides the opportunity to showcase your entire arsenal of skills along with a complete bag of tricks, from betting strategies and your ability to read your opponent, to your overall mental toughness.

Right from the start, the action is fast-paced, as you juggle playing from the front or behind because you’re in the blind for every hand. This untethered non-stop action requires a well-thought-out game plan, as it’s difficult to get to your final destination without a roadmap.  You’re gonna be navigating some bumpy unchartered terrain, so you’ll need to be on top of your game to withstand this non-stop psychological warfare.

Whether you are the chip leader or the underdog, you have one objective in mind: to come away with all the chips and be crowned the winner. 

Keep in mind that heads-up poker is more about playing the player than playing the cards. In head-to-head play, you’ll be playing hands you’d never consider playing in a full-ring game because you have only one player to beat. You can’t afford to constantly fold and you don’t have time to wait for premium cards. You’ll need to widen the range of hands you play and always maintain an aggressive posture. 

Heads-up play is like a boxing match

Heads-up play is very much like a boxing match, where it’s just two fighters standing face to face in the middle of the ring, bobbing and weaving, using cunning and trickery while testing their opponent, in order to find that small opening to take advantage of. 

It’s crucial to assess your rival’s tendencies while monitoring for any repetitive behaviors, which can reveal patterns that will give you an edge. It’s the small things that matter. Of course, you’ll need to constantly adapt your play as you go. Take note of all hands revealed at showdown to help you gauge the range of hands being played, along with the betting action that accompanied it. These can be exploitable as the game goes on.

Doug Polk says it best:  “Adjust or die. The best heads-up players don’t have a fixed strategy; they adapt every hand.”

Mix up your play: Heads-up is a game of controlled aggression

Most importantly, you’ll want to mix up your play, so you don’t become predictable. Business as usual won’t cut it. For starters, don’t do what you always do. Change it up every chance you get. 

Well-timed plays, including check raises sprinkled with a few spontaneous bluffs, help keep your opponent guessing and off guard. 

Heads-up is a game of controlled aggression, tempered with restraint. Betting often to keep challenging your opponent is vital, since you are in every hand together. Any signs of weakness, like calling or folding too often, are easily capitalized on. If your opponent is too aggressive, try to trap them. If they are overly timid and waiting for opportunities, shut them down by betting them off their hand. 

Be very wary of exaggerated moves like over-bets and check-raises, especially on suspect boards. If the action smells fishy, then chances are it is, which is a good time to cut bait and just move on to the next hand.

Heads-up play demands that you remain extremely alert and patient despite the grinding repetitiveness of navigating through mediocre hand after hand, all the while trying to figure out how to squeeze more juice out of the lemon. 

Positional advantage rules the day

Positional advantage rules the day, giving the button who is last to act post-flop the upper hand by harnessing information made available by your opponent. Things to keep in mind include: 

• defend your big blind more often 
• raise first-in to the tune of 60-70% of your hands
• c-bet often and always apply pressure.  

These hints should generate rewards over time.

In the end, more is decided by sheer will, mental resilience, and following your game plan, than just playing the cards. The action-reaction betting paradigm always increases as the blind levels go up. This tension-driven interchange often culminates in an all-in showdown which can be a determining factor in the outcome of the game. It takes a calculating, clear-thinking player to “know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em,” which enables you to live to play more hands and come away with all the chips. 

“In heads-up poker, you have to be willing to die in order to live.” —Doyle Brunson

Whatever the final outcome, keep in mind that earning the privilege of playing at the rarified level of heads-up poker already makes you a winner.