These heads-up strategies and tips distil what actually wins one-on-one poker. Heads-up is a game of aggression, position, and constant adjustment, and these ten habits will lift your win rate immediately.
The top 10 tips
- Raise the button relentlessly. Folding too much is the biggest leak.
- Defend your big blind widely. You are getting a great price to see a flop.
- Continuation bet often. Most flops miss both players, so betting takes it down.
- Value bet thin. Second pair is often good enough to bet for value.
- Bluff the players who fold. Against tight opponents, keep firing.
- Stop bluffing calling stations. Print money with value instead.
- Use position on every street. Control the pot from the button.
- Adjust every few hands. Heads-up is one long read on one person.
- Vary your sizing. Do not become predictable with the same bet every time.
- Stay patient with variance. Heads-up swings hard; trust good decisions.
The theme behind the tips
Notice that nearly every tip comes back to aggression and adjustment. Heads-up rewards the player who applies pressure and reads a single opponent faster than they are read. Passive players simply cannot win at this format.
Put them to work
Pick two or three of these to focus on per session, review how they went, then add more. For the full approach and the best hands to apply them with, see the heads-up poker strategy hub and brush up on poker odds.