Reaching the heads-up stage in a Sit & Go (SNG) final is a great achievement, but finishing second instead of first can leave a lot of value on the table. Heads-up poker is a battle of adjustments, aggression, and reading your opponent. The dynamics shift completely compared to full-ring play—ranges widen, aggression increases, and every decision counts. Mastering heads-up play can give you the edge you need to close out your victories.

Key Differences Between Full Table and Heads-Up Play

Heads-up play forces you to play a much wider range of Master Poker Vietnam hands and be more aggressive. Passive, tight play that worked earlier in the Sit & Go will no longer be effective.

Main Adjustments to Make:

  • Hand ranges widen significantly: Hands like king-high, queen-high, and even some low pairs become strong.

  • Position becomes even more powerful: As the button, you’re first to act preflop but last to act post-flop.

  • Aggression wins: Passive players are easily run over in heads-up play.

Opening Strategy: Button Play

When you’re on the button (which is also the small blind in heads-up), you should be raising with a wide range to apply pressure.

Tips for Button Play

  • Raise most hands—any ace, any king, most queens, suited connectors, and almost any pair.

  • Occasionally limp to balance your range and keep your opponent guessing.

  • C-bet most flops, as they will often miss your opponent.

Big Blind Strategy

From the big blind, you’ll need to defend against wide button raises. Folding too much will allow your opponent to steal relentlessly.

Tips for Big Blind Play

  • Defend with a wide range of hands, especially suited cards and connected cards.

  • 3-bet occasionally with strong hands and some bluffs.

  • Check-raise flops when you sense weakness.

Post-Flop Aggression

Post-flop play in heads-up is aggressive by nature. You can’t afford to give up too many pots.

How to Play Post-Flop

  • C-bet often, but know when to give up on boards that favor your opponent.

  • Bluff with hands that have some equity (e.g., straight or flush draws).

  • Value bet thinly—top pair, second pair, and even ace-high can be value hands heads-up.

Adapting to Your Opponent

Heads-up poker is all about reads and adjustments. Observe how your opponent reacts to aggression and adapt accordingly.

Against Aggressive Opponents

  • Trap them with strong hands by checking or calling instead of raising immediately.

  • Widen your calling ranges to catch their bluffs.

Against Passive Opponents

  • Steal blinds relentlessly.

  • Bet for value more often, as they won’t pressure you without a hand.

Managing Stack Sizes

Stack depth affects heads-up strategy:

  • Deep Stacks (50+ BB): Play more post-flop hands and adjust ranges.

  • Medium Stacks (20–40 BB): Play aggressively preflop with 3-bets and all-ins.

  • Short Stacks (Under 20 BB): Use push/fold charts to guide your decisions.

Mental Toughness in Heads-Up

Stay focused and adaptable. Heads-up matches can swing quickly, and frustration can lead to mistakes. Focus on playing each hand optimally rather than dwelling on previous results.