Heads Up Poker Rules

Heads-Up Poker

Heads-up is a game of poker played by two players. This type of poker had recently became very popular and a lot of online poker rooms now offer Heads-up Sit 'n' Go tournaments as well as the two-player cash games. The most common poker variation played at the Heads-up tables is No-Limit Texas Hold'em, although technically any one-on-one game of poker is a Heads-up game.

Heads-up poker is a perfect opportunity to play against the player that suits your playing style the most or simply to try out something new. The game is usually quite fast therefore a good reaction is needed in order to succeed.

If a Heads-up game is played with blinds, the dealer always posts the small blind and is the first one to act preflop/before the first draw and the last one in all the following betting rounds.

The Games that are Usually Played Heads-Up

• Texas Hold'em
• Omaha Hi
• Omaha Hi-Lo
• 7 Card Stud
• 5 Card Stud

Heads-Up Poker Rules

The goal of the game is to end up having the best hand and to collect the pot.

The Heads-up game follows the rules of the poker variation that is being played with a few exceptions:

• Only two players can play the game
• There are no limitations on the number of raises during the betting rounds
• The buy-in is set by the poker room. The players are notified if they take their seat with the insufficient buy-in

Usually in order to take part in a Heads-up game the player's stack has to contain a predetermined amount of buy-ins. In this way poker rooms and casinos ensure that the players are going to play at their tables for a while. There are no limits on the number of raises that can be made during one betting round. Although most of the poker games have a limit of three raises in one round, the Heads-up poker players are free to raise and re-raise up until one of them goes all-in.