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HU4ROLLZ? Best USA-Friendly Online Heads-Up Cash Game Sites

Heads-up cash games employ the same rules, hand rankings, and betting structures as normal six-max and full-ring tables, but the action is ramped up considerably. There are some online sites that have excised these types of games completely from their lobbies; yet other rooms continue to spread them. We've evaluated these providers in order to present you with a list of the best heads-up cash game poker sites for USA players:

Ignition
Intertops
Americas Cardroom
SwCPoker
Blockchain.poker
Nitrogen Poker

Why Play Heads-Up Cash?

If you hate folding and would rather put chips in the pot, then heads-up ring games may be for you. Due to the fact that there are only two players, it's correct to play very wide ranges both pre- and post-flop. Also, if you have an edge on the other player or are very good at making quick strategy adjustments based on opponent tendencies, your advantage is multiplied by being able to play a full session against a single individual.

These benefits also apply to HUSNG games as well, but some prefer cash because it allows you to play deep-stacked at all times without having to engage in the all-in lotteries common during the latter stages of sit-n-gos.

The Best Heads-Up Cash Game Sites for Americans

In order to save you some research time, we've identified six places to play heads-up poker cash games. We'll tell you about their traffic levels, the stakes and poker variants available, bonuses and promotions, and other important info on each room. All of the below offshore poker rooms have stable software, fair games, and fast payout speeds. You can play with confidence at whichever of them you eventually choose to be your online heads-up poker home.

#1 Ignition - Highest Traffic HU Cash Site

Of the sites on our list for heads-up online cash games, Ignition, on the PaiWangLuo Network, has the most traffic by far. As a new player, you're entitled to a sign-up bonus of 150% up to $1,500 on your first crypto-currency deposit (the bonus is only 100% up to $1,000 if you deposit via some other means than crypto). Heads up tables certainly qualify under the T&Cs of the bonus.

Ignition has you covered whether you like regular No Limit Texas Hold'em, high-only Pot Limit Omaha, or PLO/8 split-pot poker. HU ring games are offered between $0.02/$0.05 and $2.50/$5.00 in all three of these variants.

One unusual aspect of Ignition's setup that you'll want to bear in mind is that all games are anonymous. What this means is that you won't know who you're playing against, and correspondingly, your opponent will not get to see your screenname either. This may be a drawback if you're a heavy HUD stat user, but on the other hand, this arrangement leads to ultra-soft games as the fish are more comfortable playing when there's no chance of their being targeted by savvy sharks.

The Ignition poker bonus is based on poker point accrual in the 30 days after your qualifying deposit. As you surpass certain point totals, you'll get a bonus payment automatically added to your balance the next day. The bonus delivers a cashback rate of 50% in heads-up cash games.

$0.10/$0.25 Heads-up NLHE at Ignition Casino Poker

Ignition provides poker software executables for PC and Mac. Furthermore, there's a mobile interface that works well on any modern smart device.

If you think Ignition has what you're looking for in a heads-up poker site, then by all means, read our Ignition Review to learn how to register your account and get the maximum bonus possible. Ignition has a sister site called Bovada, which is where you'll want to go if you enjoy betting on sports as well as playing poker because it has a sportsbook, which is not the case at Ignition, although the Bovada Poker bonus maxes out at only $500. Consult our Bovada Poker, Sports, and Casino review to find out more.

#2 Intertops - Best Promotions HU Cash Site

Intertops spreads several distinct forms of HU poker although the volume you can put in will be lower here than at Ignition because Intertops has only a fraction of the traffic. Nevertheless, this site – the flagship of the Horizon Poker Network – is worth incorporating into your mix because of the softness of the player pool and the sheer number of bonuses and promotional specials that Intertops provides, starting with a 200% up to $1,000 initial deposit bonus deal.

PLO lovers will be able to indulge their fondness of one-on-one play at the cash game tables from $0.02/$0.04 through to $0.25/$0.50 in both high-only and hi-lo forms. Two-card NL Hold'em is present for heads-up at $0.10/$0.20 up to $1/$2.

When you play head-to-head cash games at Intertops, you'll be clearing your 200% up to $1,000 bonus at a rate of only 6% value-back. What's important to note, however, is that this number adds on top of the 36% rakeback that you'll obtain when you sign up through our links. The bonus is good for three months and pays in $5 segments. Rakeback is awarded every day in increments of $10. Intertops also has weekly $4k rake races, a loyalty levels program, frequent reload bonuses, overlay tournaments, and many other promotions.

Intertops $0.05/$0.10 PLO Heads-Up Table

The Intertops downloadable poker client is only compatible with Windows PCs. However, there's an Instant Play website that lets you log in and join tables from Macs, smartphones, and tablets.

If all of the above sounds good to you, then browse over to this Intertops review to find out how to get started. Intertops also has an associated partner site that provides many of the same perks, and if you want to know more about it, you can read a Juicy Stakes review.

#3 Americas Cardroom – Fast-fold HU Cash Poker Site

The HU ring games at Americas Cardroom are of a very limited nature compared to the other rooms on our list. However, they are quite distinct in their own way and offer a gameplay experience like none other. As you sample the ACR offerings, you'll be able to clear a 100% up to $1,000 bonus.

What's going on here is that this site does indeed have heads-up cash games, but they're restricted to Blitz Poker only. Blitz is a fast-fold poker format wherein you move immediately to a new table with a fresh set of hole cards whenever you fold.

Because of the way Blitz works, you'll be playing against a different opponent each hand, but depending on the number of people in your pool, you'll might keep running across familiar names, and so the importance of note-taking and opponent profiling is preserved. It's like a combination of the best aspects of regular heads-up poker and Ignition-style anonymous games.

You have your choice of NLHE or PLO at $0.10/$0.25, $0.25/$0.50, and $1/$2. Whichever game and stakes you opt to play, the welcome bonus clears at a 20% rakeback rate. One unusual aspect of ACR's heads-up set up is that permitted buyin values are between 200bb and 500bb: pretty yummy if you enjoy deep games.

$0.25/$0.50 Heads-Up Blitz Poker

It's possible to play at Americas Cardroom on a PC or Mac. There's also a mobile client with only a limited array of games supported, but fortunately HU Blitz is one of the formats that you can access from your phone or tablet.

To learn how to begin playing at ACR today and claim a $10 FREE No Deposit Bonus, check out this detailed Americas Cardroom review page. There are also several sister sites on the Winning Poker Network that you might wish to sign up for instead although they all have the same heads-up Blitz games: BlackChip Poker, True Poker, Ya Poker (non-US).

#4 SwCPoker - Most Variants of HU Cash Poker

SwCPoker is a Bitcoin-only site that uses the formula of 1 bitcoin = 1,000,000 chips. It does offer the opportunity to play heads-up cash games. There's no registration bonus, but you can achieve up to 50% rakeback through the Krill rewards system depending on your volume of play.

Ring game heads-up tables are denominated from 1 chip/2 chip (sub-penny poker) up to 30,000/60,000 (about $1,000/$2,000 at current market rates). At SwC, the game selection isn't limited to just NLHE, PLO, and PLO/8 as it is at most other rooms. You can sample heads-up 5Card Omaha hi-lo, several Open Face Chinese formats, 11-Game mix, and other game types although these less-popular variants aren't offered at the highest stakes.

50/100 HU No Limit Hold'em Cash Game at SwCPoker

The largest problem you may encounter is finding an opponent because this poker site is definitely on the niche side of things. Still, it can't hurt to sit alone at a few tables at SwC while you grind on another site. SwC is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Android devices. In addition, there's an HTML5 client that loads up in your web browser.

For more on all things SwC, check out this overview of the SwCPoker platform.

#5 Blockchain.Poker – Free Bankroll HU Cash Site

Blockchain.poker is a crypto-currency online poker site, but unlike most others, it denominates games in three separate digital coins: Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV). Indeed, you will receive a few free chips for each of these cryptos to try out the games for free. Each chip is worth one satoshi (1/100,000,000 of a coin).

There are tables at stakes both low and high here. Not only can you join preexisting heads-up cash tables at Blockchain Poker, but the room makes it easy for you to create your own and password protect them if desired. Thus, you can solicit action from unknown strangers and set up private games too. You get points on the rake you pay and can exchange them for rakeback that can reach 50% depending on your volume.

Nano-Stakes Heads-Up Game at Blockchain.poker

The only format supported here is NL Hold'em, so anyone looking for HU PLO or any other game is out of luck. Blockchain.Poker runs in any up-to-date web browser, so you have the convenience of being able to play on whatever hardware you have handy.

To learn more about blockchain.poker, including how the free no deposit chips work, head over to the thorough Blockchain Poker review page.

#6 Nitrogen - No Download HU Cash Site

Nitrogen is another Bitcoin-oriented poker provider, and it counts each bitcoin as 1,000 chips. Although there's no welcome bonus here, Nitrogen delivers ongoing value in the form of freerolls and the Nitro rewards program, which offers mBTC credits to the tune of 8% - 50% rakeback based on your monthly rake totals.

The action starts in Nitrogen's HU games at 0.01/0.02 chip blinds (about $0.35/$0.70). Yet, it reaches as high as 200/400 ($7,000/$14,000). Although Nitrogen does offer several different games for larger table sizes, the heads-up section is restricted to No Limit Hold'em only. Player volume is pretty sparse, but you'll probably encounter an opponent before too long if you have the patience to wait awhile.

0.01/0.02 NL Hold'em Heads-Up Table at Nitrogen

Nitrogen operates according to a no download model, so you can open the room up directly in your browser. You can peruse this accurate Nitrogen Sports Poker review for additional details.

Armed with the information we've just given you, you're now ready to pick a site and get started in the exciting heads-up cash game scene. All of the rooms above are upstanding gaming operations that gladly welcome players from the United States.

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Heads-Up Cash Games FAQ

If you're a newcomer to heads-up cash, then look below for common questions about this style of poker and accurate answers to them.

✅ How do the blinds work in HU cash game poker?

In heads-up Hold'em and Omaha poker, the button has the small blind and acts first preflop. On later betting rounds, the big blind acts first.

✅ What is “Grimming”?

Grimming refers to sitting down at a heads-up table, playing just a single hand from the favorable small blind/button position, and then leaving. This practice was named after “grimstarr”: a heads-up regular who was the first to begin shooting this angle in a methodical way. It goes without saying that grimming is considered a dirty tactic to use, and we urge you to refrain from it. Depending on the rules of the poker room, habitual grimmers may find themselves subject to account termination.

✅ What is the rake like in a heads-up poker game?

The rake is something that few players consider, but it can have a big impact on your overall profitability. Though Daniel Negreanu may disagree with us on this, less rake is better. The rake schedules at our six recommended heads-up cash game online poker sites are as follows:

Ignition:

5%, $0.01 per $0.20 in the pot up to a max rake of $1

Intertops:

NL20 and below: 6.7%, $0.01 per $0.15 in the pot up to a max rake of $0.50
PLO10 and below: 6.7%, $0.01 per $0.15 in the pot up to a max rake of $0.50
NL50 and above: 5%, $0.05 per $1 in the pot up to a max rake of $1
PLO20 and above: 5%, $0.01 per $0.20 in the pot up to a max rake of $0.50

Americas Cardroom:

5%, $0.01 per $0.20 in the pot up to a max rake of $0.50

SwCPoker:

NL/PL up to 10/20: 3% up to a max rake of 30 (approx. $1)
NL/PL 25/50 to 100/200: 3% up to a max rake of 50
NL/PL 200/400 and up: 3% up to a max rake of 60
Fixed Limit up to 5/10: 4% up to a max rake of 3
Fixed Limit 10/20 to 50/100: 3% up to a max rake of 15
Fixed Limit 100/200 to 500/1000: 2.5% up to a max rake of 30
Fixed Limit 1000/2000 and up: 1% up to a max rake of 40
Chinese Poker up to 10/point: 3.00% up to a max rake of 50
Chinese Poker 25/point: 3% up to a max rake of 150 (approx.. $5)
Chinese Poker 50 to 100/point: 3% up to a max rake of 200
Chinese Poker 200/point and up: 3% up to a max rake of 350 (approx.. $10.50)

Nitrogen:

0.01/0.02: 4% up to a max rake of 0.1 chips (approx. $3)
0.02/0.04: 4% up to a max rake of 0.15 chips
0.50/1.00: 4% up to a max rake of 1 chip (approx. $30)
1/2: 4% up to a max rake of 1.2 chips
2/4: 4% up to a max rake of 1.4 chips
5/10: 4% up to a max rake of 1.6 chips
10/20: 4% up to a max rake of 1.8 chips
50/100 and up: 4% up to a max rake of 2 chips (approx. $60)

Blockchain.Poker

Heads-up rake at Blockchain.Poker ranges from 5% uncappped at the lowest blind levels to 0.10% up to 30k chips (BTC) at the highest stakes. For BCH and BSV tables at the highest stakes, the rake is instead a fixed 1 million chips.

Heads-up poker can be quite thrilling, but you probably wish to play other formats from time to time. Fortunately, we've prepared guides to the best internet poker sites for various types of card games: