Updated on 21 Feb 26 by
Barry Carter
Poker Expert

PokerStrategy.com Heads-up Championship: play your third round match!

Our field has been whittled down to 64 players, and those still involved have until February 23 to play the second round.

https://www.pokerstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/cdn-origin/2014/01/17/hu-tournament-newsheader-en.jpg The PokerStrategy.com English Community Heads-Up Championship first round has whittled the field down to 64 players, and everyone remaining has to step up for their third-round matches.

We've posted up the threads for each match in our forum so players can arrange their games versus their opponent.

You must arrange and play your match before February 23.

Forum: Heads-Up Championship

Third round: what to expect

Several big names were scalped in the last round, including pleno1 and tomsom87. Two of our coaches, Admin chenny8888 and Admin Shevtshenko, and amazingly our editorial staff Admin MJPerry and Admin BarryCarter have defied the odds by making it through to round 3. 

What can I win?

https://www.pokerstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/cdn-origin/2014/01/17/hu-tournament-newsimage-en.jpgEnglish Community Heads-Up Champion:
$200, 1-month status upgrade
Session review from HUSNG.com coach

Runner-up:
$100, 1-month status upgrade

Semi-finalists:
1-month status upgrade

Frequently asked questions

What site can I play on? 
Plenty of our partner rooms offer HUSNG games. You and your opponent need to agree a venue when organising your match. Playing on a partner room is a must in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final - note that we will be broadcasting the matches to our community from the quarterfinals onward.

Do I need a tracked account?
No.

What stakes are the matches?
We recommend $1.50 or so to keep it fun, but if you and your opponent agree to play higher stakes then you may. If there is no agreement then you must play the lowest stakes available.

What variant of SNG can we play?
We prefer you play standard HUSNGs, but if both players prefer turbo games then that's fine. If there is no agreement then you must play standard HUSNG.

How many matches is each round?
At a minimum, best of 3. If you and your opponent agree you may play best of 5, 7, 9 or however many you choose.

When are the matches?
The first round draw is on January 30, and players have until February 9 to play their matches. For the second round onwards, players have one week per match (Monday - Sunday) to play. 

How do I find out who I am playing?
We'll create a thread for each match wherein you and your opponent can organise your game.

Is there a cap?
Yes, the field is capped at 256 players.

What if my opponent doesn't show up at the agreed time?
In this case, the remaining participatnt automatically qualifies. PokerStrategy.com reserves the right to make judgement calls in case of disputes. In the event of non-attendance from both players, PokerStrategy.com will pick a winner at random to advance to the next round. 

Poker Expert

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO. In 2025, he won the Global Poker Awards for Best Book and Twitter Personality of the Year.