Poker Heads Up – How To Play Heads up poker is great and when you play poker it should be exciting and when it is down to just two players no one is that excited. Although poker is not a life style it can add a bit of charm to the game of poker if you know how to play it well enough. Since so many people play heads up poker now there are books available on the subject. There is also a lot of tournaments on the internet and televised poker on the television. This is a great way to learn how to play poker heads up.
How To Play Poker Heads Up
Poker heads up play is what poker is all about. It is the most popular game in the world at the moment, and if you know how to play it well enough you can win a lot of money playing it. There is no doubt in that as the years go by more and more people play it. It does seem to be more popular among the poker Hapless Hipsters that are viewers of the Game Show Network and Fox Sports Net than it is on thepokerstars.com.
Heads up poker is great fun and the game requires a certain level of skill and the ability to read your opponent. The great thing about heads up poker is that anyone can play it, it does not need experience, specific card reading skills and so a lot of things that make money in poker are lacking in heads up poker. However with the right attitude and mindset it can be a very profitable game.
The Starting Hands In Heads Up Poker
I spoke about the blinds in another article and about how they Joining the game at the end of the add on round. For this reason if you get your blinds the round you join the game you will have a relatively good starting stack. Usually the most active and aggressive players are the blinds. Therefore if you can eliminate a player while cleaning up the blinds it can be a great way to build your stack.
Play the Joining the Game In The Beginning
While you are in the beginning position wait for the Pre-Flop to be over. Take a look at the board and decide if you want to be part of the action or not. If you have a good hand bide your time and wait for the best spot. If you have a medium hand go for it as you might get called and where you won’t. After all the small blinds are taken care of and the button is also out so let things roll.
In the meantime take notice of the players and how they are playing, you can take note of how the strong players are playing as they will be the first to act. If you’re in the beginning position wait for the blind to be a attractive factor into the game. If you have a fairly good hand play keep your position but if you have a weak hand and the blind is high don’t forget to act. You also don’t want to be trying to play with big stacks that are to the left of you, aware of what they’re doing and if they’re playing for the blind. If you have a small stack and there are multiple callers consider going all in as you might be able to steal the blind.
On The flop you can decide to stay in or not, depending on the outlook of the players in the blind. If you have a good hand and it’s still folded to you, then its better to stay in for the sake of your cards. When you have a medium hand, again you may want to stay in for the sake of your cards but you will want to be careful of the players that folded at the same time you did. If you’re playing middle position and you have a hand that’s good, but not great, you may want to stay in for the sake of your cards.
When you’re in late position and you have middle pair or some sort of support hand, then you really must consider going all in. You never know what your opponent has and you don’t want to be caught in a situation where you are left no option but to fold your hand to a random card. You are out of options. This is why professionals usually play all their hands when in the late position. They are out to survive. Being in late position yourself you have a better chance to win at this point, but you also increase the likelihood of being out as you have more players interested in the hand.
If you have a premium hand then don’t play it. I see a lot of players playing marginal hands or hands that are going to be difficult to differences at the poker table, but they don’t play aggressively. Playing this way is very dangerous. If you have a hand like AT,JJ or 44 and you have the option of a flop with an ace or king on it then by all means check raise or make a standard raise.
