The 2-max (or heads-up) open range tool will give you an overview of the GTO (Game Theory Optimal) ranges to play. In 2-max, the player to open will be on the small blind (SB). The player to call after the small blind will be on the button. Here you will have all the possible scenarios with recommended actions.
The tool is used for both cash games and tournaments. For cash games, be sure to set the antes to "none". You can adjust the other options depending on your tournament situation. This tool is useful when you have between 20 and 100 blinds.
When you are in a tournament and have less than 20 blinds, the open-raise will no longer be an option. You will be in push or fold mode. To see the tool that will help you in this situation, you can visit this page : https://www.push-or-fold.com/push-or-fold-2-max.php
The hands in the 2-max open range table are divided into 6 categories:
- Hands that are too weak to play (Fold). These hands are simply too weak to play and will have to be folded 100% of the time. These hands will be shown in black.
- Marginal opens. These hands are EV neutral, meaning that over the long run you will make more or less $0 with these hands. If your opponent is very skilled, it is suggested that you do not make marginal opens. Conversely, if your opponent is not very skilled, you can make all marginal open-raises. These hands will be shown in gray.
- Hands strong enough to be open, but not strong enough to call a 3-bet (Open/Fold). These hands will be shown in blue.
- Hands strong enough to be open with which we want to call any 3bet. Here we can call because our hand will play poorly in a 4-bet (or is not strong enough for a 4-bet) or because we want to disguise the strength of our hand (with AA for example, when we suspect that villain might fold to a 4-bet). These hands will be shown in yellow.
- Hands that are strong enough to open and are excellent candidates for the 4-bet bluff. Hands like A5s and A4s are excellent examples. When you make a 4-bet with A5s for example, villain will fold part of the time. He will also call part of the time. When he calls, you have the initiative and lots of folding equity on the flop. Plus, you'll hit big on some flops. Having an ace in your hand decreases the chances of villain having AA, a hand with which he will often push all-in preflop. When villain makes a 5-bet/all-in preflop, you'll know you're beaten and can fold your hand with peace of mind. These hands will be shown in green.
- Les open/3-bet/4-bet/all-in. These hands are considered long term winners. Therefore, you should play them aggressively. These hands will vary depending on the situation. As a general rule, the fewer blinds you have and the higher the ante, the more you can push all-in a wide range preflop. In closing, you'll notice that in the interest of balancing your game, it will sometimes be suggested to call a 3-bet with a very strong hand and sometimes recommended to 4-bet that same hand. The goal is not to be transparent. For example, you can't 4-bet 100% of the time with AA or you will never have AA in your range when you call a 3-bet. By calling a 3-bet with AA sometimes, you will protect your 3-bet call range. These hands will be shown in red.
