Big Blind Defense in Heads-Up Poker

In heads-up, you're in the big blind half the time, facing a button that opens very wide. The core principle: defend a lot — folding too much hands the aggressive button free money — but defend intelligently, because you'll be out of position for the rest of the hand.

Why you defend wide

You've already posted the big blind, and the button is raising a huge range, much of which is weak. Folding too often lets them print with junk. You get a good price to continue, so you call and 3-bet far more than full-ring instincts suggest. Over-folding the big blind is one of the most common and costly heads-up leaks.

Call vs. 3-bet

• 3-bet your strong hands for value and a balanced set of bluffs (hands that play well when called and block the button's strong continues).
• Call with the wide band of hands that are worth continuing but not strong enough to re-raise.

A polarized 3-bet structure (value + bluffs, fewer middling hands) is often preferred out of position, with the middling hands calling instead.

Survive out of position postflop

You'll be out of position, so:

• Keep strong hands in your checking range so it isn't all weakness.
• Use check-raises to fight back and put the button to tough decisions.
• Give up more readily when you're guessing and don't have it.
• Avoid bloating pots with marginal hands.

Adjust to the button

• Against an over-folding-postflop button, check-raise and float more.
• Against a relentless barreler, tighten up and let them hang themselves.

Common mistakes

• Over-folding preflop to a wide button (the biggest leak).
• Playing fit-or-fold postflop with no check-raises.
• Calling everything and then surrendering every flop.