Basic heads up strategy In a way then heads up play isn’t much different to ring game play in that many of the same concepts apply. The main concept that applies to both types of poker game is in how position is of vital importance. So you will definitely be opening with a much wider range from the button in heads up cash games. In fact there are many professional players who actually advocate playing 100% of their hand range on the button who will then adjust based on how much aggression their opponents actually stand for. However what needs to be pointed out here is that your range should vary widely depending on various factors. These are your table image, your opponent and how they play and also the flow of the game. Heads up play mainly revolves around adjusting to your opponent’s line of play and how they adjust to yours. So for example if you are open raising on the button and your opponent is frequently three betting you then you have to respond to that in several ways. It could be that you start four betting pre-flop, open raising less, or calling and then looking to take the pot away from your opponent on the flop or beyond the flop. You may also decide to use a combination of the above strategies. Conclusion Game selection is more important in heads up cash games than in any other form of poker. If you are –EV to a particular opponent in a ring game then you can largely avoid them. This is impossible in heads up play and so you need to make notes on your opponents before you play them. If you have any problem with tilt or you simply cannot be bothered to find beatable opponents then you have no chance at this extremely tough and demanding form of poker. Carl “The Dean” Sampson can also be seen on his poker blog as well and is an 888 poker pro.