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Hey Poker Fam! This week the WSOP opened up a new way to enter tournaments. The Hall of Fame changed how legends get inducted. Bracelets are still being won. And we're diving into heads-up play—the format that separates losing heads-up players from winning ones.

This Week in Poker

Strategy Corner

Heads-Up Poker: The Fundamentals That Separate Specialists From the Rest

Heads-up Poker is a completely different animal. The biggest difference between heads-up and full ring or six-max is your pre-flop opening ranges. In full ring, you're careful. In heads-up, you can play close to 80% of hands from the button.

On the Button (Small Blind):

When you're heads-up on the button, you're the small blind and act first pre-flop, but you're in position post-flop. You can open nearly 80% of hands because there's only one opponent. Your position matters more than hand strength in heads-up. A button raise sizing is critical: 2.5x the big blind is standard, or 3x if you're deep-stacked (100BB+).

If your opponent folds too often to a raise, you can go smaller (2-2.25x) and steal the blinds more frequently. If they defend too much, size up to 3-3.5x to make defending more expensive.

From the Big Blind:

When you're in the big blind, your job is to defend against that button aggression. You should continue with a much wider range than in full ring—somewhere around 55-70% depending on your opponent. Most of your pre-flop range should be calls, not three-bets. You'll face a standard raise (2.5-3x), and you need to have enough hands to call that without telegraphing strength.

Your four-betting range is similar to six-max or full ring: top hands for value (10s+, A-Q+), plus some suited connectors and gapped hands for balance (A-10s, A-10o, K-9s, K-9o).

The Critical Insight:

In heads-up, you need to pick up on your opponent's tendencies immediately. Do they fold too much? Do they call too much? Are they three-betting weak hands? With only one opponent to focus on, you pick up patterns fast. The reads get very specific. If they check-call the flop and tend to overfold on the turn, you exploit that spot.

The foundation of heads-up is simple: wider ranges, position dominance, and reading your one opponent so precisely that you can exploit exact patterns.

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Clip of the Week

▶ WATCH NOW From Deeply Tilted To A MASSIVE Stack! (2026 WSOP Monster Stack) New this week · Watch on YouTube →

I call with AJ♣ on the button against a lowjack raiser, then face a small turn bet of 18k on a 9♠-9♦-7❤-10♦ and when the river brings a K❤ and he checks to me, you're going to want to see how I navigate this tricky spot!

YouTube Channel → https://www.youtube.com/@LexyGavinPoker

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In the Know

Poker Player Flies Himself From Scotland to USA for the World Cup

Poker player Fraser MacIntyre and his co-pilot David Smith flew themselves from Scotland to the USA on a single-engine Cirrus SR22T airplane for the 2026 World Cup. Commitment to the game (or the tournament) takes many forms.

Source: Poker News

Kalshi Implementing Employer Verification for Certain Prediction Markets

Prediction market operator Kalshi announced it will require users to disclose their employer before wagering on certain contracts. The move is designed to curb insider trading on their platform. Transparency is becoming the standard.

Source: Card Player

A Haiti World Cup Championship Would Cost Sportsbooks Millions

If Haiti won the 2026 World Cup, sportsbooks across the country would lose millions of dollars. The long odds on an unexpected winner create massive liability for books that take action on favorites.

Source: Card Player