Heads Up!

Maybe the purest form of poker, heads up. Some are intimidated, some relish the opportunity. Having played heads up many times, I have to say that I have mixed feelings. Be aggressive, B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, as the cute cheerleaders would say. It fits my style, I know that I do enjoy the game within the game and heads up gives me the opportunity to play some mind games, but you have to watch your step. Get involved with a gambler and your heads up match could end quickly.

Many online poker sites have heads up matches that you can get some major practice, seeing a lot of hands in a short amount of time and honing your skills. What a lot of people don't realize is that even when there are 8 or 9 rounders at a table, most time you are playing heads up, and it behooves the players that want to improve to get as much heads up play in as possible.

NBC is now airing the National Heads Up Poker Championships on Sunday afternoons, for a different look at how the best players in the world approach the heads up game, it's a good watch. In 2005, the great Phil Hellmuth took the title over Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, and in 2006 "Jesus" fell once again, this time to Ted Forrest, universally recognized as one of the best poker players in the world. What can this tell us? Simply that the most talented poker players in the world excel in the heads up game, so a quick tip. Want to become a better poker player? Let's play heads up!