Let's look at some heads-up strategies.

Starting Chips and Blind Levels

When playing a heads-up tournament, check out the structure and see how many big-blinds they start you with.  Do you have enough to play a solid game early on or do you need to start mixing it up right away.

Also, what are the lengths of the levels?  Online, it is less important than live to evaluate the level length.  When the level goes up, evaluate your chip position to determine what style can work in the level.

Evaluate Your Opponent

What style does your opponent play?  This is an elementary concept but must be revisited when you are playing heads-up.  Is your opponent capable of changing gears and can you identify when he has?  Have you picked up on any betting patterns from this opponent?

If you have a hyper-aggressive opponent and can afford to rock up a bit, then do so.  If they are tight, drop the hammer on them and chip away at their chips.

Learn to Trap

You will run into a lot of heads-up players that will play hyper-aggressive and put you to the test a lot.  When this happens, this offers a lot of opportunities to lay traps with sets, oddly flopped straights, etc.

When you catch a big hand, you need to let your opponent bet into you.  You will be surprised at how many times that you will flop a big hand and check-call a flop bet, only to face a push on the turn.

Loosen Up Your Requirements

When you play heads-up, you will be playing a lot of hands and you will need to loosen up your requirements on your starting hands.  Any ace, any pair, any two big card, almost any suited connectors and depending on how passively your opponent is playing, maybe even suit one gapers are good hands to play. If you have an opponent that limps a lot, then you can almost play any two cards.

The key to playing this loose is knowing when to get away from your hand.  Flop play is essential here.  In many cases, you are going to bail on your hand if you don't connect on the flop.  The exception is draws and maybe big ace hands.

Don't Let Them Get There

If there is a potential draw on the board, don't let you opponent get there cheap.  Many pots are lost in heads-up play by people afraid to bet their middle or bottom pair and they let a draw catch up on them.

Don't Play Stupid Just to Knock an Opponent Out

To some of you, it is right to call a short stack with almost any two cards if you have a big chip lead in the hopes of knocking them out. If you are looking at an opponent with 500 chips and you have 19,500, this type of play is fine.

However, there are many times that I see players call pushes that they shouldn't.  For example, your opponent has 2,500 and you have 17,500 and they move all-in.  You have 6-2.  I have seen players make calls in hopes to knock the player out.

What happens here many times is that 2,500 stack is now a 5,000 to 15,000 stack.  Your opponent is back in the game.  Yes, he is short, but one double-up and you are even.  If you are going to try and knock out a short opponent, try to do so with a reasonable holding and not garbage.

Heads-up tournaments can be a lot of fun as you are battling one on one as opposed to 9 other opponents at once.  If you master this variant, you will find many fish willing to hand over their money with the false idea that "It's only one guy.  I can take him."

Good luck to you at the tables.