There's no way around it: You'll have to play heads-up in online poker tournaments, unless you're playing a satellite at Ignition. The money jump between second and first is the biggest money jump there is – yet so few people practice how to play poker heads-up. Check out this easy-to-read guide and strategy for playing heads-up MTT poker. We'll show you how to make the right game moves when it's just you and your opponent across the table, one-on-one. PLAY POKER TOURNAMENTS Heads-Up in Online Poker Tournaments They say heads-up poker is the purest form of poker. That's true at the cash game tables, but it may be even truer when you're playing a poker tournament. There's no more waiting around for other players to bust, no more ICM (Independent Chip Model) considerations to worry about: It's all down to you and your opponent. Skills and strategy take even more precedence over luck in these situations – maybe that's why so many newer players avoid practicing heads-up in the first place. Or maybe they get intimidated by how the format of the game changes. When a tournament gets down to two players (or you're playing a heads-up Sit-and-Go), the order of play is a little different; the player in the small blind is also the button, and will act second post-flop instead of first. The player in the big blind will act last pre-flop and first post-flop. This can take some getting used to if you're new at the game.