By Pointman

When either playing a Heads-Up Cash Table, a Heads-Up Sit-n-Go, or just getting into a Heads-Up situation in tournament play; you must realize that playing against one opponent consecutively is extremely different than playing against a full table.

First and foremost, you will likely be able to pick up on your opponent’s betting patterns and discern his hands more easily; and he the same for you. Naturally, the more hands you play against each other, the more you’ll recognize each others’ strengths and weaknesses.

So how do you maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses in a Heads-Up situation?

Easily.

Bet. And bet hard.

Sounds contradictory, as you’ve probably reached the final table and this situation by playing tight, but aggressive. A Heads-Up situation is pretty much the only time you can play loose-aggressive and expect to come out ahead. Try it and see, most sites offer Heads-Up Sit-n-Goes starting at $5. AbsolutePoker, Pacific Poker, and Pokerstars are among them.

The default hand from numerous computer situations shows that Q7 off-suit will win approximately 51.77% of the time. If you have this hand, or a higher hand, then the decision to play should be almost automatic. At the worst, you’re in a race. At the best, the odds will be anywhere from 2-1 to 5-1 in favor of you. A small pair or any Ace or King definitely make the difference for you in Heads-Up play. Don’t go all in without a stellar hand, but definitely push from the small blind or raise from the big.

David Sklansky analyzed Heads-Up play in one of his books and found that if a player in the small blind raises every time, he’s a 2-1 favorite to take the pot. How? Well, if the blinds are $100 and $200, this makes a pot of $300. If I raise up another $200 from the small blind, I’m forcing the big blind to act. If he folds, I’ve risked $200 to get a $300 profit, as my small blind was a forced bet anyhow. Assuming the big blind folds half the time, I’m still destined to make money. If he calls, and I have a somewhat decent hand, then I stand to make that $300, if not more, also half the time. Moral of the story – always raise from the small blind unless your hand is terrible.

What happens if you opponent follows this same strategy? Raise his bet, or call if your hand is mediocre. Do not let him walk with the blinds. Get money in and hope for a good flop. Aside from higher pocket pairs, everything pre-flop in Heads-Up is more or less a coin-flip if you really consider it. Take your chances, be aggressive and force him to make choices, not yourself.

One of the most important things to look out for though in Heads-Up play though is a limper. There are only two reasons for someone to limp – to see a cheap flop with a mediocre hand, or to attempt to trap someone. You can do the same also, if you have a dominant hand (AA, KK, AK, AQ, QQ, etc) pre-flop. Simply limp or make a smaller bet and check-raise if you can. Leave them wondering.

Again, like any other strategy and style of play, this will differ from person to person. You’ll have to figure out what works well for you, and you’ll also need to adjust your play for your opponent. Don’t become too predictable, but don’t slow-play anything either – maximize your value on each and every hand. Press hard and play hard and you’ll come out ahead more often than not.