All-in basics

The poker term ‘all-in’, meaning to bet all the chips you have on the table, has become universally popular among no-limit hold’ em players in the last few years thanks to shows like the World Poker Tour. It has acquired a certain level of machismo because of its aggressive nature, and the risk and excitement that ensues when two players are all-in. But what are the merits and drawbacks of moving all-in and how should you approach the move with different sized chipstacks?

Clearly moving all-in for 100 big blinds to win only the 1.5 big blinds posted in a cash game is a terrible idea, but with five to ten big blinds you might move all-in with any two cards in a Sit & Go. The power of moving all-in, most obviously, is that you have committed yourself to a hand and forced your opponent to call or fold. Even if you go all-in with a terrible hand, you will still have some chance to get lucky and win against a much stronger hand.

In a Sit & Go or tournament format with antes, fold equity (the likelihood of an opponent folding and you gaining their chips) is a huge factor, as stealing the pot pre-flop can add massively to your stack. Opponents in this type of structure will be especially apprehensive to call when closer to the bubble – allowing you to use this tactic even more.

Keeping your eyes open

In some cash games and tournaments where stacks are deeper, moving all-in becomes increasingly perilous. Here it’s better to make a standard raise to 2.5-3 big blinds, which gives you a more proportionate shot at picking up the blinds. Even so opportunities for moving all-in pre-flop will still present themselves when the stacks are deep. Once there have been one or more raises that put sufficient chips in the middle, risking your entire stack may be a valid move – and a supremely powerful one at that.