One of the best things about heads-up poker is that it takes less thought and strategy than when you are playing multiple opponents. That being the case, my number one heads-up poker tip for beginners is to relax, lose your fear, and when in doubt attack aggressively.
I have found that when playing heads-up poker online you will often face an opponent who plays from a place of fear, and finds themselves protecting their money. This is especially common at the end of a long tournament where both players are already in the money but the winner's share is substantially greater. When that happens, to the aggressor goes the spoils.
So stop playing your own cards and start making your opponent doubt his own. One of my favorite tips is to raise small early, then bet big fast. Basically, you put your opponent in a situation where he's going to invest some chips but be forced to walk away unless he absolutely nails the flop in heads-up hold'em. Even when that happens, when you have employed this strategy you'll often be ahead in chips and live to fight another. And of course, there's always the chance of a suckout. But what will usually happen is that your chip stack will steadily grow until you can just bully your opponent out of the game.
I'll try and share a few more of my top tips for heads-up poker beginner players in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out.
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