Heads-up poker is an intense form of the game that demands sharp instincts, strong fundamentals, and psychological awareness. In this version of Texas Hold’em, players have to make decisions more frequently, adjust rapidly to their opponent’s behavior, and play with an extended strategic range.
This will walk you through exactly how heads-up poker works, what makes it different, and how to develop a winning edge when it’s just you versus one opponent.
What Is Heads-Up Poker?
Heads-up poker is a one-on-one format of Texas Hold’em where only two players compete. It is commonly found at the final table of tournaments, as a standalone Sit & Go game, or in cash games between two individuals.
Rules of Heads-Up Poker: How It Differs from Full-Ring Games
- Blinds and Positioning
In heads-up play, the dealer posts the small blind, while the other player posts the big blind. This differs from full-ring games where the small blind is to the left of the dealer. Importantly, the dealer acts first preflop but last postflop, which means positional advantage shifts after the initial betting round.
- Betting Streets Remain the Same
The game is still played across four streets: preflop, flop, turn, and river. Each street allows players to bet, check, raise, or fold, and the best five-card hand at showdown wins. The hand rankings and pot structure remain identical to regular Texas Hold’em.
Heads-Up Poker Tips and Strategies from James Edward Hartigan
James Edward Hartigan, a renowned English poker commentator and broadcaster, has spent years analyzing high-level play and breaking down the nuances of the game. Here are the strategic concepts and tips he offered specifically for two-player poker, to help players sharpen their heads-up skills with practical, experience-backed advice.
Strategic Concepts in Heads-Up Play
- Play a Wider Range of Hands
With only two players at the table, many hands that would be folded in full-ring games become playable or even strong. Hands like Queen-6, Ace-2, and medium connectors take on new value. Because the blinds come around every hand, folding too often will cause you to bleed chips quickly.
- Aggression Is Crucial
Winning at heads-up poker requires you to be the aggressor far more often than in other formats. You should be regularly opening from the button and continuing betting when you miss, putting pressure on your opponent. This keeps you in control of the pace and forces your opponent into difficult decisions.
- Bluffing and Semi-Bluffing Are Highly Effective
Since there’s only one player to beat, bluffs and semi-bluffs become much more effective. You can frequently represent stronger holdings, especially on dry flops or when holding drawing hands like open-ended straight draws. However, you must be careful not to become predictable, as a sharp opponent will catch on quickly.
- Understanding and Using Position
Being the dealer (or on the button) is a great advantage in heads-up because you get to act last on the flop, turn, and river. This allows you to gather more information before making your decision, which can often determine whether you bet, call, or raise. Good players will exploit this by playing more hands from the button and applying pressure.
- Adaptability is the Key to Victory
Every opponent is different, and in heads-up play, you will quickly notice patterns in their behavior. If they fold too much to aggression, you can bluff more often; if they’re too aggressive, you can trap them with strong hands. Your success often depends on how quickly you can adjust your strategy mid-game based on what your opponent is doing.
Tips for Beginners in Heads-Up Poker
- Start Against Softer Competition
Begin your heads-up journey by playing against weaker opponents. This allows you to build confidence, learn from mistakes, and gain practical experience without being overwhelmed by complex strategies. As you improve, you can move up to tougher games with more skilled players.
- Try Different Playing Styles
Experiment with various approaches, some players thrive with relentless aggression, while others excel at a more measured, reactive style. Over time, you will find a strategy that fits your personality and mindset. This self-discovery is an important part of developing your unique poker identity.
- Stay Mentally Resilient
Heads-up poker can be a rollercoaster due to the high volume of hands and variance. Losing several hands in a row is normal, so it’s important not to tilt or get discouraged. Maintain focus and stick to your game plan, making thoughtful decisions rather than emotional ones.
- Know When to Quit or Change Opponents
If you find yourself clearly outmatched, being outplayed or consistently outsmarted, don’t be afraid to walk away. There is no shame in quitting a bad matchup and seeking out a better opportunity. According to James Hartigan, knowing when to fold or step back is one of the signs of a mature, disciplined poker player.
Strategies for Pre-flop and Post-flop Play By Doug Polk
Doug Polk, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner and one of the greatest heads-up No-Limit Hold’em players of all time, emphasizes the importance of adapting quickly in this format. In heads-up play, players must make decisions more frequently, read opponents faster, and widen their range of playable hands to stay aggressive and balanced.
Here are his top tips:
Preflop Strategy (In Position)
- Raise First In (RFI) Range
You should raise about 84% of hands from the small blind at 100bb effective, folding only the weakest offsuit hands with no connectivity. This includes nearly all suited hands, all pocket pairs, most broadways, and many offsuit connectors. Folding trash like 32o, 43o, T2o, etc., avoids bleeding chips with unplayable holdings.
- Raise Sizing (SB)
At 100bb, the preferred raise size is around 2.25x. As stacks deepen, you want to raise larger (2.5x or more) to build bigger pots where you hold the positional advantage. This also increases fold equity and pot size when you’re playing hands with strong postflop potential.
- Deep Stack Adjustments
As stack depth increases, your range stays wide (~84%), but suited connectors and low suited aces gain more value due to implied odds. You want to raise bigger and lean more hands that can realize equity in large pots. The worst offsuit hands drop out even more aggressively at 200bb+ because they don’t perform well postflop.
Preflop Strategy (Out of Position)
- Defending vs 2.25x Open
You should defend around 70–75% of hands vs a 2.25x raise, including many offsuit high cards, suited hands, and small pairs. Because you are getting good pot odds and your opponent is raising wide, you can call with many hands that would be folds in other formats.
- Three-Bet Range (BB)
You use a polarized 3-bet range: strong value hands like QQ+, AK are pure 3-bets, and low suited connectors like 86s or T7s are bluffs. The idea is to pressure wide opens while avoiding domination and poor playability. Medium hands like QJs or JTs often just call, since 3-betting and facing a 4-bet puts them in terrible spots.
Postflop Strategy (Out of Position)
- Play More Passively on the Flop
As the OOP player, you should check a large part of your range on the flop, even as the preflop aggressor. This helps protect your checking range, disguises your strong hands, and avoids building a pot when you’re at an informational disadvantage. It also helps induce bluffs from the IP player.
- Check-Raise Selectively
Check-raising should be reserved for strong hands and semi-bluffs that benefit from fold equity. If used too often, it becomes easy to exploit. Most of your marginal hands and draws should remain in a check-call line to maintain a strong and unpredictable checking range.
- Don’t Overprotect Marginal Hands
Hands like weak top pairs or second pairs often play better as bluff-catchers or check-calls, rather than aggressive bets. Betting too often with these hands builds the pot and commits you to difficult turn and river spots. Focus on pot control and balancing your range, especially when you’re OOP.
- Respect Turn & River Aggression
When you face multi-street aggression from an IP opponent, especially on the turn and river, it’s usually a sign of strength. While bluffing is more common in heads-up, players tend to polarize heavily by the river. Fold more of your marginal range and avoid getting pulled into high-variance hero calls unless you have a clear reason.
Postflop Strategy (In Position)
- Use Small Bet Sizes Frequently
When you’re in position, small c-bets (25–33% pot) are very effective on the flop. These bets apply pressure on a wide range of hands your opponent may have, especially those with moderate equity like gutshots or backdoor draws. This sizing lets you bluff frequently and value bet thinly while keeping your range wide.
- Leverage Position Aggressively
Being in position gives you a major strategic edge, you get to act last on every street. This allows you to float flops with more hands, delay c-bet on the turn, and value bet more thinly on the river. Your positional advantage also increases fold equity on later streets, especially in marginal or bluff-heavy spots.
- Thin Value Bet More Often
In heads-up pots, opponents will often call down lighter. As the IP player, this allows you to extract value from weaker pairs and ace-high hands by betting thinner. You can widen your value range, especially on dry runouts, knowing your opponent is capped and out of position.
The beauty of heads-up play is that every hand matters, and every spot can become a battle of ranges, frequencies, and perception. The more you refine your post-flop fundamentals and stay mindful of position, the more confident and profitable your decisions will become.
Keep following PokerProNews for more such valuable tips and take your game to a next level.
Content Courtesy: Doug Polk & James Edward YouTube Tips
