Tips for playing HU NL poker

I am posting various tips on playing NL HU poker. Some will seem obvious, others not-so-obvious. Some will be technical, others not.

Topic 2: How much should you buy in for?

Someone who can play both shorter and deeper stacked HU equally well probably would have a slightly higher earn rate. However, many players are better at one or the other. Whether to buy in for the full amount or less largely depends on individual factors. Some factors that can point you in one direction vs. another:

1. Do you play a lot of SNGs and especially HU SNGs?

If you play a lot of SNGs, you are used to playing with smaller stacks relative to the blinds. Most SNGs begin with about 50 big blinds, and quickly the biggest stack becomes much less than that. If this is what you are used to, I would recommend buying in for far less than a full buyin. A starting amount of 25-40 big blinds might be appropriate, as this will be similar to the earlier stages of a SNG.

2. How good are you at controlling the pot size?

If you play a lot of cash games, you probably are used to attempting to control the pot size so you win a lot with a monster vs. a good 2nd-best hand, and lose a reasonable amount when you get a good 2nd best hand and go up against a monster. The better you are at controlling the pot size with deep stacks, the more likely you would succeed at HU NL when playing for a full buyin.

3. How mechanical is your game?

If you play mechanically, you should stick with smaller buyins. What do I mean? Well many players are technically quite able, except they tend to think about all situations with similarly and don’t randomize their actions. Do you find yourself doing the same thing heads up every time you have AK, QQ, AA, or 54 suited? If so, you might want to stick to shallower stacks. The more confusion you create for your opponents, the better, so if you tend to think there are several good ways to play a hand and will often play a hand differently, you would be more likely to succeed with deep stacks.

4. How are you feeling right now?

Sometimes your personal mood will indicate how much you want to buy in for – don’t ignore that. If you normally buy in for $100 on a $1 bb NL HU table, but don’t want to risk that much right now, there is no shame in buyin in for $40-$60.