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Heads-Up Sit & Gos: Top 3 Sites to Play On for Real Money

Heads-up sit n' gos promise the thrills of one-on-one poker competition combined with the fast pace of single-table tournaments. If you're wondering where you can participate in these exciting games online, then wonder no longer. We've identified the best online heads-up SNG sites for USA players:

Americas Cardroom
Ignition Poker
Everygame

What's the Appeal of HU SNGs?

Heads-up poker in general allows for the greatest exploitation of your opponent assuming you're the superior player. Furthermore, you'll get to play more hands than you would at a larger table, so action players really appreciate this format. Finally, the sit-n-go structure means that once you snag a fish, he or she won't be able to leave early; the game will play out to its conclusion. With any luck, you'll win the contest and then be able to play again against the same individual multiple times.

The Best Sites for HU SNGs

When deciding where to play HU SNGs, there are a number of factors to take into account. We've evaluated all the leading online poker providers that serve the United States to find the ones with the highest traffic levels, most lucrative promotions, fast payout speeds, and robust software platforms. Read our reviews of them below, and then choose a place to play!

#1 Americas Cardroom - Widest Range of Stakes

Americas Cardroom, the premier brand on the Winning Poker Network, has an excellent selection of heads-up SNGs, which is a bit surprising given that it eliminated HU cash games in January 2018. You can check out ACR at zero cost to yourself with a no deposit credit of $10 followed by $50 free and 100% up to $1,000 with your first deposit.

The buyins for two-player sit n' gos begin as low as $2.40 + $0.10 and go up to $500 + $20, so this is a favored site of HU sit-and-go high-rollers. However, turbo and hyper turbo contests are only spread below $50. At the higher levels, only regular speed games are offered. The same is the case with PL Omaha and PL Omaha Hi/Lo: They are available only at buyins lower than $50.

The Two-Player Sit n' Gos at ACR go up to $500 + $20

The ACR 100% up to $1,000 bonus clears at a respectable 20% rate, and it is valid for 60 days. Unlike at most sites, you can issue your own bonus payments at the press of a button and can claim them every day. Furthermore, your play will count toward the Elite Benefits VIP program, which offers payback rates of 60% or even more to the most diligent grinders. Unfortunately, heads-up specialists aren't eligible for the weekly Sit & Crush leaderboard because two-person games are specifically excluded.

Americas Cardroom has a poker client for Windows, and there's a Mac version too, but it's still in beta. Unfortunately, mobile gaming is severely limited at ACR, and the mobile app does not support two-player sit n' gos.

To find out more about our special Americas Cardroom bonus code PRB10FREE, which grants a $10 credit upon registration, $50 of free cash, and the 100% up to $2,000 welcome bonus, head over to our ACR Poker review page.

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For info on other dependable organizations on the Winning Poker Network, read our reviews of each room: BlackChip Poker, True Poker, Ya Poker (non-US).

#2 Ignition - Anonymous Games

Ignition Poker welcomes heads-up sit-n-go mavens to its room, and it even provides a bonus of 100% up to $1,000 that can be cleared in these games. Ignition has the most player traffic of any card site open to Americans, so it definitely deserves to be on your shortlist of places to play.

Before heading over to Ignition, you ought to be aware of one of the unique aspects of this poker room: its anonymized model. All players are anonymous at the tables and are identified solely by a number. This means there's no bum-hunting or stats tracking possible at Ignition. Some pros are dismayed by this because it blunts their edges, but on the other hand, it makes the fish feel safe and leads to softer games.

In the HUSNG realm, Ignition delivers. The fun begins at $1 + $0.05 in all three games, and it tops out at $200 + $10 in Hold'em and $100 + $5 in Omaha and Omaha/8. There are only two speeds present for heads-up, turbo and normal: Hyper turbo is absent.

The Heads-Up Sit & Go Lobby at Ignition Poker

The 100% up to $1,000 Ignition poker bonus works on a points system. As you play, you'll earn poker points, and then when you achieve certain point totals, you'll unlock a segment of the bonus. If you complete the entire bonus in HU sit & gos, then you'll realize an effective rakeback percentage of 30%. If you work off a lesser portion of the bonus, then you'll actually do even better in terms of cashback rate because the initial bonus tiers are set up to grant their value faster than the latter ones.

Ignition, a part of the PaiWangLuo Network, has download installers for both Windows and Mac machines. There's also a responsive web app that works with Android, iOS, and almost every other mobile operating system.

If you believe that Ignition might be right for you, then read our Ignition Poker review for further details about this site. One deficiency of Ignition is that it lacks a sportsbook. If this is important to you, then you might want to instead consider joining Bovada.lv, which is a partner site of Ignition.

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#3 Everygame - Best Promotions

Although it's a little off the beaten path, fans of Everygame (formerly known as Intertops) know that it's a worthwhile place to play. This company is one of the best-rated sportsbooks in existence, so customers can rest assured that their funds are safe, and there are plenty of promotions. These beneficial deals start off with a 200% up to $1,000 welcome bonus.

Gaming at quite a range of stakes is possible in the HU sit n' go section of Everygame. NL Hold'em and PLO/8 games can be found from $1.50 to $200. Unusually, PLO hi only runs up to the $30 level. All three speeds – regular, turbo, and hyper turbo – are present, but hypers are only listed for NLH.

Unlike most of its competitors, 'Tops and the rest of the Horizon Poker Network host Limit Hold'em two-player SNGs up to $100 buyin, so if you're an LHE grinder, then this is one of the few outlets in existence for enjoying the game in HUSNG form. Another non-standard product is Everygame' four-player NLHE two-table heads-up shootouts, which pay the top two finishers and are listed at $5 and $15 buyins.

HUSNG Lobby at Intertops(Now Everygame) Poker

The Everygame Poker 200% up to $1,000 bonus releases at a 21% rate in head-to-head sit-and-gos. On top of this, you'll get 36% rakeback when you register through us for total payback of 57%. Then, you'll be able to score reload bonuses, weekly rake race payouts, and other perks over time.

The software operates on Windows systems via download only, but there is an Instant Play feature that's compatible with most systems both mobile and traditional.

To learn how to create your account at Everygame, read our thorough review of Everygame Poker or feel free to click the button below to sign up now.

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There's another U.S.-friendly poker site on the Horizon Poker Network, and you can find out all about it with our Juicy Stakes review.

Honorable Mentions - Other HU SNG Sites

There are a couple of other HUSNG online poker rooms for U.S.A. users, but they have only sporadic traffic and are best reserved as backup or secondary sites to put in a little side action while you grind hardcore at your main poker home.

SwCPoker: SwCPoker uses bitcoins for all cashier functions and gameplay. The HU sit-n-go lobby starts with low buyins of 0.00025 BTC (almost a dollar) and goes up to 0.02 BTC ($70, give or take). The highlight of this room is the wide variety of games spread. When you opt to partake in the heads-up SNGs here, you can choose from NLHE, PLO, Badugi, Short Deck Hold'em, Mixed Games, Big O, 2-7 Triple Draw, and more. Browse over to our SwCPoker review page for more on this poker operation.

Nitrogen Poker: This Bitcoin-only poker room has heads-up turbo NLHE SNGs at four price points: 1 mBTC (about $3.60), 2.5 mBTC, 5mBTC, and 10 mBTC (about $36). Regular-speed and hyper turbo contests are unavailable. Consult our Nitrogen Sports Poker review to find out more.

Now that we've told you all about the best U.S.A. internet poker sites for HUSNG play, you can sign up and play today. Whichever one of them you pick, you'll be treated to fair and honest gameplay, modern software, and a variety of heads-up buyin levels to select from.

HU CASH ? ? ?

Heads-Up Sit & Go FAQ

If there are things you still don't understand about HU sit & go games, then look below for a few of the most frequent questions asked about this format along with their answers.

✅ What's the difference between regular speed, turbo, and hyper turbo?

Regular speed heads-up sit n' goes take their cue from normal six-max and nine-player SNGs with 75bb to start with and 10 minute blind levels. Turbos, designed for those who want a quicker fix, halve the length of the blinds with levels of just 5 minutes each. Hyper turbos take things to the max with just 25bb starting stacks and blinds that go up every 2 minutes.

✅ What are the benefits and drawbacks of the three different speeds?

Regular speed HU sit n' gos have the highest sustainable return on investment (ROI) for a skilled player. This is because the deeper stacks and longer play allow the better contestant's edges to play out over a lengthier period of time. At the other end of the spectrum are hyper turbos, which devolve into shove-fests pretty quickly, and having a 3% ROI in hypers is considered crushing them. However, hypers last only a few minutes at a time, allowing a greater volume to be grinded, and so the best hyper turbo pros boast hourly rates superior to those of their regular speed brethren especially when rakeback, bonuses, and other considerations are added in. Turbos represent a middle ground between these two extremes.

✅ How do the blinds work?

In a two-player game, the big blind, small blind, and button clearly cannot be possessed by three separate individuals. What happens is that the small blind has the button and acts first preflop. Postflop, the big blind acts first on each round of betting.

Heads-up sit-n-goes are just one of the types of poker you have access to online as a United States resident. For further enlightenment on the best offshore poker sites for various styles of the game, check out the following links: