- \n
- what kind of bankroll management you should use <\/i><\/li>\n
- the amount of variance<\/i><\/li>\n
- the relevance of the psychological component
\n\t<\/i><\/li>\n- where you can play heads-up poker profitably
\n\t<\/i><\/li>\n- how to find weak opponents
\n\t<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.pokerstrategy.com\/download\/content\/bilder\/ps_trennlinie.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\nYou can win a lot of money as a strong No-Limit Hold'em player, if you
\nhave an edge on your opponents. This edge is especially advantageous
\nwhen playing heads-up poker: You can play against a weaker player on
\nyour own and don't have to \"share\" him with other good players. \n<\/p>\nIn this article we will explain how to get off to a good start playing
\nheads-up No-Limit Hold'em. You will find out what you need to start
\nplaying this game variant and what to pay attention to before joining a
\ntable. \n<\/p>What do you need to get started?<\/h1>
\nYou need at least 50 stacks\n<\/div>\nIf you’ve been playing full-ring or shorthanded
\ngames up until now, then you’d be used to needing 20 to 30 stacks
\n(=buy-ins) for your current limit, so that you have enough reserves and
\ndon't have to leave the table whenever you have a short streak of bad
\nluck. \n<\/p>\nIn heads-up poker games, which are generally a
\ngood deal looser and more aggressive, these reserves will not suffice.
\nFor this reason the variance increases and you need a larger bankroll.
\nYou should take an absolute minimum of 50 stacks to the table to play
\nat the lower limits.\n<\/p>\n50 stacks is already an aggressive level of bankroll management. If you are not that
\nconfident yet or tend to go on tilt easily, you should accordingly have
\nlarger reserves. 100 stacks do not mean you're overdoing it, and even
\n150 stacks are a realistic number when you're managing your bankroll
\nconservatively. This will mean you're playing on the safe side and will
\nhave the time to develop your game.\n<\/p>\nIf you feel like you have a good edge on your
\nopponents (at the next-highest limit), feel that you can handle it on
\nthe psychological level, and won't have a problem with moving back down
\nquickly should it be required, then you can take shots at the next
\nlimit. Evaluate yourself realistically, however, or you could end up losing a large chunk of your bankroll.\n<\/p>\nIf you have just started playing this variant,
\ntaking shots tends to be an unwise choice. You should really focus on
\nimproving your own game and move upwards slowly but steadily. This is
\nwhy you need to assess your own playing skill correctly and choose a
\nsuitable bankroll management method for it.\n<\/p>\nVariance in heads-up poker is very high\n<\/div>\nVariance is higher in heads-up poker than it is in
\nother No-Limit Hold'em game variants. Swings of 10 stacks or more are
\npractically the order of the day and you can lose a lot of money very
\nquickly, despite playing a good game.\n<\/p>\nIn heads-up No-Limit Hold'em it is not unusual to repeatedly end up running 20 stacks above or below all-in EV.\n<\/p>
\nThe psychological component in heads-up poker\n<\/div>\nPsychology is very important in heads-up poker. There are many
\nluck-based short-term fluctuations, many bad beats, coolers and also downswings. Many players also make the mistake of
\nthinking that they are in direct competition with their opponent. Ego
\ntends to become more important than aiming to play your A-game.\n<\/p>\nIt is not surprising therefore, that many heads-up players end up going
\non tilt from time to time. You can lose a lot of money this way, even
\nif you have a big edge on your opponent. Becoming a tilt-resistant heads-up player should become one of your top priorities.\n<\/p>\nThe converse argument is that it can work to your advantage when your
\nopponent goes on tilt. Unlike shorthanded or full-ring games you have
\nthe opponent all to yourself and every time he deviates from his
\nA-game, the money he loses goes to you alone in the long run.\n<\/p>\nUnder certain circumstances it can even become profitable to select a
\nmove that does not have the highest-possible EV when looked at in
\nisolation, but will most probably cause the opponent to go on tilt.
\nHands with high implied odds are of greater value in these situations.\n<\/p>\nBut you should be careful when you make moves like these. If you don't
\nknow your opponent well enough, you will be the one to lose a lot of
\nmoney in the long term.\n<\/p>Where can you play?<\/h1>
\nAlmost all poker platforms now offer heads-up No-Limit Hold'em as a
\ngame variant. On some sites you will find more players, on others there
\nis not that much going on.\n<\/p>\nDon't pay too much rake\n<\/div>\nIn heads-up poker you are involved in every hand. This is why you pay a
\nlot of rake compared to shorthanded or full-ring games. This higher rake
\nis not won back easily, even if you're playing against weak players.\n<\/p>\nThis is why there tends to generally be a lower rake cap for heads-up
\npoker. This means that you do not need to pay more than a certain
\namount of rake per hand.\n<\/p>\nOnly play when the rake cap is no higher than 2 BB per hand, even if
\nyou have a very good edge on your opponents. If the maximum rake per
\nhand is very low, you can already play heads-up poker at the lower
\nlimits: \n<\/p> - the amount of variance<\/i><\/li>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.pokerstrategy.com\/download\/content\/bilder\/ps_icon_artikel.jpg\"){kind=icon}
<\/td>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.pokerstrategy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/image\/ranks\/mini\/silver.png\")
Tilt: Introduction<\/a>