This is an introduction to heads-up poker - my favourite kind of poker. This is a game of heavy action since you're involved in every single hand, and this is a game of individuals. I'd even say this is all about knowing your opponent. Totally player dependant.
Ring Games vs. Heads Up
Opponents Following You - In 3+ handed games, you might not be followed as much as you're going to be in heads-up poker. Your opponent will see everything you do and act according to it. While it might be harder to create a certain image in ring games because you can't be sure if every player notes your actions, whereas in heads-up games you CAN be sure of that. You and your opponent are literally going to play 1 vs. 1 - it's totally about your opponent.
Player's Decisions - In ring games, you've got a better idea of your opponent's hand ranges. You'll know if someone re-raises you out of position, 32 isn't the most probable hand. It's just easier to think "he's doing this & that 80% of the time...", but in heads-up games everything's almost completely different. Your opponents are going to be forced to play more hands, which means their range is going to be so much different. Plus, they're going to be in position 50% of the time and out of position 50%. Decisions in general become much more "player dependant" (even though that's what they are in ring games).
Not About the Cards... - I always laugh when people say poker isn't about cards. Well, tournament poker in later stages put aside, of course it is. It's so much about the cards in ring games. However, it's less about YOUR cards in heads-up poker, and more about your opponent's cards. In order to bust your opponent, you'll need a better hand than what he's got which means you're going to have to use your cards. But, the set-up for the bigger pots isn't really about your cards. You set up a big pot by "messing" with your opponent's head and making him to make the wrong move when you've got a strong hand. It sounds very simple, but that's what it actually is.
Figuring out how to do it might get a bit trickier.
You're also picking up tells by messing with your opponent's head. I guess the phrase "stick & move, stick & move" would be a good way to describe what heads up poker is to me. It's about finding out information little by little and finally hitting when the right spot opens.
Reads are crucial in heads up poker. When you play other ring games, you're also playing your cards a lot more than what you should in heads up poker.
If you've only played 3+ handed games before and you're planning to step into heads up games, be careful. First of all, these games a swingy, since it's hard to read a new player you've never seen before. The game's tendency changes a lot more, too, so you'll need to do better psychological thinking. In ring games, you might win a buy-in from player A and a buy-in from player B, but the game's flow doesn't change much. On the other hand, when you win 2 buy-ins from one certain player who you are playing heads up poker with, that usually means something.
Hand values change radically in these games, too. In a 6 max. game, you aren't going to be crazy about raising from UTG with TT (although it's a good hand, and you will raise). But it's a monster hand in heads up games. Hands like T9 are almost auto-raises in these games, when you'll hesitate raising with them in ring games.
Heads Up Poker is NOT for... - People who have trouble with losing a lot of money in a short period of time. This is for people who can stop thinking about losses and get back to playing their A game. Variance and handling it is definitely the most crucial difference between heads up poker and other forms of poker. Every player can't or don't want to play these games, and it's good to not play them if you can't handle the pressure.
Even though poker shouldn't affect your personal life, I've personally had losing days that ruined the whole day because I couldn't stop thinking about the losses. This is a tough, although great and challenging form of poker. If you are, or you become skilled though, you'll make a lot of money. And that's our goal in poker!
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