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Heads up NL Hold em Strategy

September 19, 2008

For those players unfamiliar with the term, “heads up” is when there are only two players remaining in a hold ‘em tournament. The dealer button rotates, and the blinds rotate with it. The player with the dealer button will post the small blind and bet first pre-flop, while the other player posts the big blind and best first on all streets following the flop.

Statistics show that most players play heads up too tightly. Maybe it’s exhaustion or maybe it’s the tension of being in the final two, but a lot of players drop their aggressive strategy in this final game. The irony of course is that now more than ever before it is important that you call your own shots. Because you will always be posting one of the blinds, folding becomes a far less appealing option. You should instead do your best to limp weak hands into the flop and should bet aggressively on any face card or pair.

This strategy may seem counter-intuitive to everything you’ve learned about playing a hold ‘em tournament, but remember that heads up is a whole different ballgame. For one, with only two players drawing from the deck middling hands become much stronger and the top starting hands become much rarer. This means you’re going to have to take more risks than the usual basic strategy allows. The upside to this is that your opponent is trying to protect their chips. Having already fronted a blind, they may be reluctant to forfeit their chips, but alternately do not want to blow their stack on their own weak hand.

To summarize, you must use betting whenever possible to optimize your hand, whether you’re trying to limp a weak hand through on your mandatory small blind or whether you’e trying to take your opponent’s stack with a truly rare and truly good starting hand. At this stage in the game, position has become especially important and should also be utilized to its full advantage on your alternating last position turns. Likewise your ability to read your opponent during the rest of the tournament will come into play as you do your best to manipulate and beat them.

Teaching yourself to focus on your method, on using your position, and on reading your opponent cannot only improve your playing style but help to distract you from your own natural tension. The best heads up NL hold ‘em strategy is one that combines not only an aggressive playing style and observation but that incorporates a cool head and calculated risks too.

Written by Tom · Filed Under Poker Strategy |  

1 Comment

to “Heads up NL Hold em Strategy”
  1. Jesse Goodin September 19th, 2008 5:58 am

    Well said

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