I really like playing heads up and I tend to be very aggressive and have a wider hand range since many players expect to have good cards in hand to get into action but I feel that that would tend to make the game boring so I prefer the aggressiveness that the passivity
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Years ago when I started my poker journey I played quite a few HU Sit n Goās and it was really interesting.
Heads Up poker is something completely different from all the other formats, and especially HU cash games. It consider heads up cash games as the best and fastest way to improve your skills, particularly your post-flop game and your reading abilities. It tough format, you really need to be very very solid player, and it also has an enormous variance. Getting the opportunity to only play against worse that you players isnāt something that is going to happen frequently.
Heads up is the best. Great topic.
I think one of my worst flaws you might say is once I get down to heads up at a tourney, itās often late and Iām tired or Iām just tired of playing or both.
Awhile back I was heads up and it was lateā¦173! hands later I wound up 2nd and was thankful to go to bed, lol.
Iād imagine if I ever was heads up in a live cash tourney, Iād likely be in trouble. Iād have to drink a bunch of energy drinks and hopefully theyād allow bathroom breaks, lol.
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Hello, a few years ago I played this type of format a lot on pokerstars, but you know something, generally a good number of the players who played were the same depending on the limit that I played, so it was not surprising that depending on the time and the fluidity of players, I generally ran into the same players on many occasions, which could be both an advantage and a disadvantage, so I had to change my strategy a lot, these types of players generally only played this format, so There is a wide difference between playing heads up in a tournament and just playing this format, I in particular like heads up in a tournament more, it excites me much more, apart from the fact that during the course of the tournament it is not surprising that I have already played some hands with my opponent, the heads up format bored me a long time ago. I love heads up in a tournament, there is nothing more exciting for me than reaching a final table and debating the crown
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Have to agree @JOSEALBERTV and welcome to the Forum. I love to have a heads up opportunity but much more rewarding to me if in a tourney at the final table!!
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Hi, RhinoRhyan89.
As you know HU Limit Poker is a solved game but NLH HU isnāt yet.
But in practical terms, the solvers and bots have come pretty close to playing almost perfectly when it comes to HU NLH play.
If you look online there is almost no site that has HU cash games left and very few HUSnG runs anymore.
Just a warning to not play this type of poker outside normal MTTs and SnGs.
A lot of extremely good HU players like Doug Polk are only playing this format in LIVE poker and there is a reason for that.
This heads-up poker stuff is really tricky.
Playing the blind every hand sounds intense, but I guess itās a strategy thing.
We do have to adjust to different opponents.
There are different type of players, and you have to be prepared.
Iām still figuring out when to bluff and when to stick to solid hands.
I just LOVE heads-up! Sitting to play HU is basically saying āI am better than you and I am here to prove itā. Also, if we are playing a tournament and we get to the heads-up, this is maybe the most critical moment, the highest jump in the prizepool, but also the moment where we must take the most risks if we donāt want do get destroyed by the blinds.
Sadly, the variance of heads-up is absurd! It is necessary to have a really strong mindset. One day I simply got destroyed playing heads-up sit and gos, losing dozens of them even when I had the best hand. Sometimes I donāt want to trust my eyes, because it is quite common to lose a lot of 80/20s or 70/30s. But they can be quite rewarding too.
They also are the best format to practice and get good at poker theory. The best HU players are also the best poker players in the world. My Holdāem game improved a lot after I studied a bit of heads-up theory, and maybe I should come back to study even more someday, this will never be a waste of time.
I have seen a lot of types of players in HU. Vast majority of them have no idea how to play and adjust to heads-up. It is possible to exploit a lot players that are inexperienced in this format.
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Valuable insights on adapting heads-up poker strategy to diverse opponents, emphasizing patience against loose players and leveraging positional advantage for confident plays and strategic bluffs. A concise guide for maximizing win-rates in heads-up scenarios
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Indeed Heads Up, play is a totally different strategy in a MTT. A lot to consider very quickly, stack. opponentās play style, etc. And remember you are playing for first place only !!! Patience, Discipline and Faith for the Win!!!
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Thanks for the post.
Iām just starting and have noticed that against otherwise good players, that they fold in the sb maybe 10-20% of the time. Since the pots odds are 25% for sb calling, it seems that there are very very few hands (like quads) which have a <25% equity in HU. So they are folding way too much.
Am I missing something?
I would say yep, probably a lot more than 20 % and probably due to hole cards among other reasons. Have fun & gl at the tables 
If I have a 72 type hand, Iāll open fold the SB. I also fold about 7% to 10% to 13% to 17% 0n average, but I am wider then that would indicate on average. Iāll open semi tight to semi moderate to semi loose, with a semi wide, semi wider, 54 suited to semi marginal hands like 87s, 76s, 98s, T9s, JTs, 97s, T8s, 86s, J9s, Q9s, QT, QJ, K6s, k7s,K8s,K9s,KT,KJ,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,22,33,etc, in addition to semi premiums, premiums, good hands, etc.
If I dont get a hand thats something like unto one of those hands, and get card dead, and get 72 type hands,instead, etc, then I typically open fold the SB.
I understand that different players have a different definition of a 72 type hand, then I do. I consider 72 type hands to be 23,34,24,25,26,27,28,29,2T,2J,35,36,37,38,39,3T,3J,3Q,47,48,49,4T,4J,4Q,58,59,5T,5J,5Q,6T,
6J.
Others consider 54s, 64s,65s,76s,86s,97s,96s,T7s,J7s,J9s,Q8s,Q9s,K6s,etc to be 72 type hands.
I generally follow, try to follow semi GTO heads up charts for opening on SB, Heads Up, depending on players, stack sizes, situational nuances, etc.
If one does that, its ok, etc, to open fold SB, heads up, 5% to 10% to 20% to 25%, etc, of the time.
But yeah some do fold too much,on SB heads up, and some dont fold enough on SB, heads up.
The only ways that matter is so that dont make that mistake oneself, and so that can counter those who deviate too far.
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Thanks for the detailed answer.
I didnāt make it clear I was thinking of Omaha Hi-Lo. Much more opportunity on the flop there.
But hanging with your example of a 72o hand alone, I see that has a 32% win Prob and 6% tie prob (2 person Texas Hold em, Texas Holdem Odds Calculator)
Putting aside stack size (i.e. assuming roughly the same), it would seem that since pot odds for sb are 25%, that 72o is usually a good bet.
Assuming a small stack, Iād stay away from it until the equity gets up over 50%. Especially if the large stack is raising a lot to knock me out.
Assuming a large stack, Iād call and see if there is a raise. If there is, fold.
Again, sorry for not making hi-lo clear, the starting hand equity variance in that game is much lower than Texas Hold em
Take care
Tom
Vejo muita gente que so āfoldaā ou seja nem vai a jogo. Simplesmente nĆ£o joga. SĆ³ quando tem uma excelente mĆ£o.
NĆ£o gosto de jogar com essas pessoas nem as considero tĆ£o pouco jogadoras ou conhecedoras de poker.
@ETomM I have not studied OHL heads up at all, so your guess is as good as mine as to what theory says
I like your reasoning about pot odds but just remember we have to realize that equity! So having direct odds to call may still be losing long-term with a hand like 72o where itās very difficult (for a human anyway) to extract all the equity you will theoretically have against villainās range.
Most important thing in heads up ( i love heads up ) is NOT to let your opponent bully you as most ppl. will try this until you stop them-and remember even a pair can win with just 2 ppl. as great hands are much less frequent
Got it. I was saying the pot odds of 25% (=1/2 bb / 2 bb) was the cost. And the equity is higher at about 35% (=31.72%+1/2*5.76%) so for that hand 72o hand there is positive EV in calling for the flop. I donāt think the percentages provided are direct odds, but implied odds after the river assuming no one folds.
Iām trying to get my head right and not make and Gross Conceptual Errors! Thanks.
The ferocity of heads up play during RPOS cannot be understated.
So, when you find yourself there, itās best to arrive prepared for battle.
Ready, without hesitation to implement your strategy towards that last remaining opponent.
In most cases, executing your plan with the strongest mindset will result in victory.
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