NL holdem heads up cash games
NL holdem heads up cash games is a unique forms of heads up compared to sit and goes because you can pick whom you want to play. When you can see a players track record before you actually sit them it makes it a lot easier to see what type of player they are. Also, when selecting a poker player to play you will obviously want to sit against the weaker players so you can make the most money. This is something not too many novice players see, and many regular players capitalize on.
When playing in a cash game heads up you will want to open a lot of hands from the button, but not every hand. Many players will open every pot and start to lose more than win. One thing to stay away from is opening every hand unless you are playing someone who is folding a great deal before the flop. If you see that obviously start opening up a wider range of cards. It is left up to interpretation what your starting range of hands is because it all depends on if you are playing a passive player or an aggressive player. If you are playing someone who is constantly three betting before the flop then you should slow down. If you are playing someone who is folding or just calling before the flop then you should pick up the aggression.
You should almost never open the pot for a minimum raise when playing in a cash style heads up. You should either make a raise to 3 or 4 big blinds, limp or fold. There are a lot of options from then on in the hand, but after the flop if the pot is checked to you a correct continuation bet is about 75% of what the pot has in it regardless of your hand. Against aggressive players who like to check raise you can collect a lot of money with big hands by betting 75% of the pot because that makes their raise bigger than if you bet 50% of the pot on the flop.
When you float a check raise this is where your instincts come in to play. The scariest play in heads up poker and a play that can confuse your opponent is that of a check raise on the flop then a check on the turn. Some of the time this is just an I give up play and other times they are sitting there with the nuts waiting to see if you make a big bet on the turn. Most of the time you should check the turn back and see a free river. But, some of the time they are on a big draw and not protecting their money in the pot so you can fire a big bet and win the pot there. If you can price your opponent out of drawing at hands then you can collect the pot. Heads up cash games can leave you stuck in some spots and sitting with the nuts in others. But, mainly the key to this style of game like any game is applying pressure in correct situations and collecting the pot.
