When you’re the big blind, you may shove a wide range of hands over a small button raise. Min-raising is a very viable alternative against weaker opponents, as you may comfortably fold to a 3-bet and save your stack when your opponent has a strong hand. Against tough opponents, playing shove-fold is often your best game plan with a stack of up to around 15 BB. You may now elect to shove on the button or go in with a small raise. Here is a quick summary of several important points. Tailor your Strategy to your OpponentĪ major topic in my first videos will be exactly how to exploit the different player types that you encounter. A good bluffing opportunity arises if your opponent calls your c-bet and then a scare card falls on the turn – such as an ace or king after a flop of low cards. For example, after raising preflop, you should usually make a continuation bet (c-bet) on the flop. In time you will recognize good opportunities to make plays. However, you should rather not make pure bluffs on multiple streets without a good reason. You should also semi-bluff aggressively in heads-up, playing fast with your draws as your opponent will often be caught without a hand and be forced to fold.

You should usually check behind either the flop or the turn, as few opponents will call three streets on this board with a hand worse than your 2nd pair. Your opponent calls and the flop comes A K Q. For instance, suppose you raise on the button with K8 offsuit. You will sometimes want to check one or more streets to induce bluffs and limit the size of the pot. When you connect with the flop it’s important to decide on a game plan for the hand. However, any ace, pair, or broadway hand is still playable. Even though you’ll get good odds, you’ll be playing every postflop street out of position.

Tighten up defending against button raises when you are the big blind. You should play the following hands from the button, at the very least: 22+, A2+, K2s+, K5o+, Q2s+, Q6o+, J2s+, J7o+, as well as suited connectors and mid offsuit connectors.

You should therefore play many hands, particularly when you’re the button and have position on every postflop betting round. You must post a blind every hand even if your opponent gives you action when you are holding strong hands, he will win too many small pots for you to have an advantage. When you play heads-up, however, waiting to get paid off with big hands is a losing style. In many poker formats you can be a solid winner through tight play. In this article we will discuss the most important skills for successful heads-up play.

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