Heads Up Poker Dealing Rules

I am going to explain the heads up rules for live poker for the sake of simplicity. The following Heads-up Texas Holdem rules apply to both tournaments and cash games. Proper Preflop Head-Up Blinds Setup: Heads-up Button Position and Dealing: The button has the small blind when playing Texas Holdem heads up. Poker can be played with only two players. It is called heads-up. Here are the two player rules: The dealer is the small blind and the other player posts the big blind. A buy-in is necessary to take a seat at any poker table. In most limit games, the buy-in is set. Poker can be played with only two players. It is called heads-up. Here are the two player rules: The dealer is the small blind and the other player posts the big blind. Players take turns being the dealer. The first card is dealt to the player in the b ig blind. The Dealer goes first before the flop and the Big Blind goes first after the flop.

• Poker Dealing Rules
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• Heads Up Poker Dealing Rules And Regulations
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Heads-Up Rules for Texas Hold’em Poker

Heads up Texas Holdem is one of the most fun, challenging and misunderstood variations of holdem. The thrill of playing a friend or foe in a battle of heads up holdem is unmatched in all of poker. Is he bluffing? Does he have the nuts? Should I value bet my second pair? Well, I will not get ahead of myself just yet. Before you can play Texas Holdem heads up against an opponent, you have to know the rules, right?

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Texas Holdem Heads Up Rules – Button Position

Poker Dealing Rules

Without a doubt, the single heads-up rule that creates the most confusion is who has the button and who has which blinds?

The first thing that confuses people is that the rules are different if you are playing at certain online poker site or playing live poker. It doesn’t make any sense, but some online poker rooms started setting the blinds backwards from what was generally accepted in live heads-up poker games for decades. I am going to explain the heads up rules for live poker for the sake of simplicity. The following Heads-up Texas Holdem rules apply to both tournaments and cash games.

Proper Preflop Head-Up Blinds Setup:

Heads-up Button Position and Dealing:

• The button has the small blind when playing Texas Holdem heads up.
• The person who is the dealer has the button and also posts his/her small blind. This means that the other player (without the button) is the big blind.
• The small blind acts first on the first round of betting before the flop (pre-flop).
• The dealer (button) deals the small blind the first card, and the second card to the other player (big blind). Deal the 3rd (total) card to the small blind and the last card to the other player. This leaves each player with two hole cards and the first round of pre-flop betting can begin.

Heads-up Pre-flop Betting:

• The small blind can fold, call or raise.
• If the small blind just calls, then the big blind (non-button player) can either check and see the flop, or raise.

Dealing Poker Games

All Other Rounds:

• The flop is dealt (3 cards).
• The person who was big blind pre-flop is first to act on the flop. (In case you forgot, this is the player who does NOT have the button – the button acts last on all streets except pre-flop.)
• The player who is first to act can bet or check. If that player checks, the button can then bet or check.
• If both players check, then the dealer deals the turn.
• Repeat the betting sequence for the turn and the river. (the 5th card)
• After all rounds of betting are complete, both players show their hands and the person with the best hand wins!

Now wasn’t that fun?!? If you think you got the hang of Texas Holdem heads up rules or you would just like to practice for free or for real money, I would suggest downloading Full Tilt Poker. Full Tilt is the poker room I rate the highest for heads up play. There are at least one hundred Texas Holdem heads up tables available 24/7.

Table Of Contents

When Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu started slinging Twitter flames at each other amidst discussion of a heads-up grudge match, many eyes rolled as skeptics expected it was all a bunch of hot air from two guys known as much for their super-sized personalities as their stellar poker skills.

However, it seems the clash may be starting to take shape.

After some more Twitter back-and-forth, details have been agreed upon by both parties, including a start date for the match: Nov. 1.

Parameters Set

The two combatants will meet on that date to begin playing two tables of $200/$400 no-limit hold'em. Negreanu said he hoped to play on GGPoker if suitable play money tables could be set up, but he announced on Tuesday they'd be going at it on WSOP.com.

They'll be playing 100 big blinds deep with automatic top-up when someone falls below that number. Each session will last a minimum of two hours with the option for both to agree to subsequent hours.

Dealing Poker Cards

As heads-up tables usually deal in excess of 150 hands per hour, the match should take around 80 hours, potentially more if the pace proves slow.

Heads Up Poker Dealing Rules And Regulations

At the halfway mark of 12,500, the loser can wave the flag. Alternately, the players may agree to raise the stakes at that point.

They agreed the match could be streamed with commentary. He referenced 'talking to Mori and Brent,' so it sounds like some sort of coverage may run on Poker Central, where Mori Eskandani and Brent Hanks manage content.

Negreanu did decline any showing of his hole cards.

'I don't see how it makes any sense,' he said in a recent podcast appearance. 'It seems like it would be a massive mistake.

'I'm not gonna give him cards up, the capability to dissect my betting percentages and stuff like that so him and his team can break it down.'

Negreanu also agreed to an unspecified 'inspection' to be sure he isn't making use of real-time assistance.

Divergent Paths to Match

While both Negreanu and Polk are known for titanic accomplishments at the felt, they've gone about building their legends in very different ways.

Though Negreanu came up as a cash player in the 1990s, he has become known as one of the best tournament players of all time. While his 41 recorded first-place live finishes can attest to a heads-up game that's just fine, that's not the facet of poker for which he's known.

Quite the opposite for Polk. While he once built up a bankroll as a full-ring grinder as 'WCGRider' on PokerStars, he'd have been just another anonymous mid-stakes pro if not for a switch to heads-up games in 2009. Polk proceeded to become one of the most successful heads-up cash players in history, even besting the legendary Ben Sulsky in a famous challenge match.

Given Polk's vast edge in experience at heads-up no-limit hold'em, it's no surprise he's been installed as a significant favorite by PokerShares, where's been installed as just shy of a 5-to-1 favorite.

Still, Negreanu has been around the game a long time, and he undoubtedly has access to players and resources who can bring up to competitive speed.

As for Polk, he's been trying to knock off the rust in the wake of his retirement from the industry. He began playing some medium-stakes matches online and has worked his way up to high stakes again.

However, it it took him 30,000 hands to get back in the green after he lost more than 3,000 blinds initially, according to a graph he shared. A subsequent foray into $50/$100 went poorly as well, as Polk said he dropped $100,000.

Heads Up Poker Dealing Rules Against

Still, a win at $200/$400 against Negreanu would be almost sure to wipe out all of that with ease, so he'll have his chance to make that a distant memory come Nov. 1.

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  Daniel NegreanuDoug Polk