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Poker Sites with Heads Up Games
Heads up poker is arguably the most challenging and potentially profitable form of poker out there. With heads up poker, it’s just you and a single opponent battling it out. Not only is heads up poker profitable, but it’s also the best way to hone your poker skills. Learning how to deal with a single opponent in an aggressive poker match is challenging but well worth the effort. Many of the best poker players in the world are heads up specialists.
We ranked the following poker sites according to their offering of heads up matches. These include both heads up matches and heads up tournaments. Look no further than these heads up poker sites for the best heads up games of all types at all stakes. Fast functioning software and generous loyalty programs make each of these poker sites that much better for heads up players.
| Rank | Poker Site | USA | Sign Up Bonus | Bonus Code | Play Now! |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  888
Poker |
100% up to $600 | n/a - use links | » www.888.com | |
| 2 |  Lock
Poker |
 |
150% up to $750 | n/a - use links | » www.LockPoker.com |
| 3 |  Bovada Poker |
|
100% up to $1,000 | n/a - use link | » www.Bovada.com |
| 4 |  Party Poker |
100% up to $500 | 500PS | » www.PartyPoker.com | |
| 5 |  Winner
Poker |
250% up to $2000 | TOPBONUS | » www.Winner.com |
- Location: UK
- Established: 1999
- Bonus Code: n/a - use links
- Traffic: 32,864 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
888 Poker is the undisputed king of heads up cash game matches. They also offer heads up tournaments, but their biggest attractions are their heads up ring tables.
The heads up tournament selection at 888 is easily the best online. Heads up sit and gos range in buyin from $2.20 to $2200. There are also many heads up multi table tournaments that start out at $2.20 and then go up to $1,000 for special events. Some of these events only attract a few players but others can attract several thousand players. With 888 Poker, there is a variety of turbo events, knockouts and guaranteed prize pools.
- Location: Kahnawake
- Established: 2010
- Promo Code: n/a
- Traffic: 7,129 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
Lock Poker is sort of the middle ground between Full Tilt and PokerStars. There are quite a few heads up cash games and a wide variety of heads up sit and gos. There are not many heads up multi-table tournaments, however. For cash games and sit and gos, you will find a healthy variety of buyins and plenty of traffic.
Heads up cash games at Lock Poker start out at $0.01/$0.02 no limit and $0.02/$0.04 fixed limit. These are the lowest heads up cash games on the internet, which is great for players on a limited bankroll. From there, the stakes increase gradually up to a maximum of $200/$400 no limit and $500/$1000 fixed limit. Most of the action occurs at the small and medium stakes games, but there is still the occasional high stakes match.
Sit and go tournaments are the primary form of heads up tournament poker at Lock Poker. There are a few multi-table tournaments but these do not occur often. As far as SNGs go, Lock Poker is looking good. The lowest sit and gos start out at $5.25 and then go up to $5,100.
- Location: Antigua
- Established: 1994
- Promo Code: n/a
- Traffic: 12,129 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
Bovada Poker is the only option for USA poker players that want to play heads up poker. There are still loads of US-friendly poker rooms with heads up games, however Bovada is the only US poker room with enough traffic to keep the games active. Bovada also provides players with a heads up promotions where you can win real cash in addition to the prize pool.
Bovada Poker features an easy to use client, supports all the standard variations of poker and includes one of the best customer support teams online. The poker room is known for huge guarantees in addition to their instant cash bonus. Join Bovada Poker here and receive a 100% to $1000 bonus PLUS an extra 10% cash up to $100.
- Location: Gibraltar
- Established: 2001
- Bonus Code: 500PS
- Traffic: 23,132 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
888 may be the king of heads up cash games, but Party Poker is the king of heads up tournaments. There are both types of heads up tables here but you’ll find the most action in the tournament section at Party Poker. Those of you who focus on tournaments will definitely enjoy PartyPoker.com for your heads up action.
The heads up tables start out at $0.25/$0.50 no limit and $0.50/$1.00 fixed limit. The stakes for the heads up tables max out at $25/$50 no limit but only go up to $10/$20 for fixed limit. Player traffic at all stakes is healthy and you won’t have any problems finding tables or opponents.
- Location: Gibraltar
- Established: 2009
- Bonus Code: TOPBONUS
- Traffic: 33,132 Players
- Mac Friendly: Yes
Winner Poker is an excellent choice for heads up poker players. For cash games, Winner Poker offers heads up tables starting at $0.25/$0.50 no limit and $1/$2 fixed limit. From there, you can find heads up tables at all levels up to a maximum of $50/$100 no limit and $200/$400 fixed limit.
Winner Poker's heads up SNG tournaments start out at $2.25 and go all the way up to $2,050. There isn’t as much selection for heads-up multi-table tournaments but you’ll still find them occasionally. Players start out with 1,500 chips in these tournaments and the blinds increase at six minute intervals.
The Mechanics of Heads Up Poker
In heads up cash games, two poker players buy in for any amount up to the table maximum and then play for cash until one of the players quits. A typical heads up cash game match can last anywhere from a couple minutes to several hours. Just like in normal cash games, there are no increasing blind levels or predetermined payouts. A heads up cash game simply runs for as long as there are two players at the table.
Heads up tournaments come in two different formats. In heads up sit and go tournaments, there are a grand total of two players in the tournament. Each player buys in for a specific amount and in return receives 1500 chips. The players then battle it out until one player has run out of chips. The player who wins all the chips receives the winner-takes-all cash prize. The blinds increase at regular intervals to keep the game moving at a fast speed.
There are also heads up versions of multi-table tournaments. These tournaments can include anywhere from four players to several thousand players. In these tournaments, each table seats only two players. When one player wins all the chips, that player is moved on to the next table to play against another single opponent. This continues on until there is only one player remaining. The players then receive payouts based on how far they made it in the tournament. Check out our new heads up poker strategy section to improve your heads up play.
