Intermediate Heads Up Strategy
Once you have mastered the heads-up poker basics such as odds and outs,
position play, and adjusting to your opponents playing style, it is time to work
on a more complex heads
up poker strategy. Factors such as becoming difficult to
read, selecting the right opponents, and de-coding your opponents betting
patterns to accurately put them on a hand become more important as you move up
the levels. This article looks at ways in which you can take your heads-up play
to the next level.
During any heads-up poker match you will be watching your opponents playing
style and adjusting your own to gain the maximum benefit from this. How you play
against any individual is influenced by both how tight or loose and how
passively or aggressively they play.
Watch the Read
While you are busy figuring out your opponent’s playing style they are doing exactly the same thing for you! As your opponent is asking these questions it is important that you take every opportunity to feed them incorrect information. This is achieved by mixing up your play so as not to become predictable. Ways in which to do this include randomly altering your bet sizes and the hands with which you raise.Alter your Heads Up Style
Another way to become difficult to read is to ‘change gears’ at various times during the heads-up poker session. Go from being tight to loose or step up your aggression for a number of hands before returning to your usual levels. Many opponents will make decisions about your playing style early in the game and stick with that impression throughout – this is an ideal opportunity to feed them misleading information.Selecting the right opponents becomes more important as you move up the betting limits in heads-up poker. At any online poker site some opponents will be more skilled and experienced than others. If there are regular players at your chosen levels it can pay to watch their matches against others. This will benefit you in two ways. Firstly you can take notes on their betting patterns and use this to read their cards better when you do play them. Secondly it will allow you to decide whether they are a strong player and someone who should be avoided at the tables. At the end of the day poker is about winning the money, the weaker your opponents the better chance you will be the one who ends up winning those big pots.