5 tips to getting started in heads-up poker

So I've been playing HUSNGs for around 4 months now. Started with $50 in my roll & now have $120, not a huge increase but I'm not far off moving into the $5 games from my lowly start at $1 games. I wanted to use this blog entry to give a few tips on the getting the basics right, where to start, what to read, what to watch & how to build a good solid foundation to progress. This is probably aimed at the casual player, who like myself still has to get up in the morning & go out to work.

1) Books

A great foundation for any heads-up player is the always recommended title, Heads-Up No-Limit Hold 'em

This title covers a lot of the basics, ton of situations you will find yourself in & lots of styles of play you can adapt yourself or adapt to when your villain plays these styles.

If you find you need to study up on the basics first, Sklansky's The Theory of Poker is a great place to start.

2) Videos


I've probably made two great investments in my poker career, one of which was getting a subscription to HUSNG.com, if you can't afford this they have a beginners pack for $40 which offers amazing value for 8 videos.

3) Forums


Twoplustwo is a great resource for information, you can spend a number of months trawling the archives picking up plenty of sound advice. Once you have got into playing a bit more make a conscious effort to post hands for feedback, don;t be afraid to have your play criticised this is the best way to learn & improve.


4) Routine


I've found this a great help to establish some sort of routine to your play. My routine consists of reviewing my play from the previous session before I even open up a table to play.


5) Any other Advice?


Your surroundings play a very important part in your play. My set up isn't optimal at the moment, I have my laptop in the dining room connected to the living room, so I have to avoid playing at times when my fiancé & little boy is in the room because of the distractions which effect the decisions I make. This is also linked to advice given for not playing when you're tired, drunk & stressed.