by Lee Meszaros

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: February 18, 2009

When ready to commit your entire chip stack and go all-in? No limit Poker can be very exciting when this play comes into effect, but when should a player go all-in? Since the popularity of poker has risen to extreme heights within the last 5 years all-in strategy has been abused. There are too many rookie players that don't understand the real game of poker. Thinking that pushing all of their chips in the middle at any given point.They will either steal a pot or get a coin flip heads up and pray its a race ( 50-50 chance at a win). Not a very good strategy to have in no limit poker.

Here are some winning strategies for all-in poker.

While going all in can be a very effective tool at times in no limit poker, it should not be abused. Depending on which poker game you are playing a good time to push all your chips in is if you are involved in a poker hand where you have the nuts (best starting hand). In the first stages of a 2-4 card hand being dealt, and there are several players calling behind you after someone has put a raise in. Usually that raise will be a standard 3 times big blind, or a come in bet depending on the game that you are playing. In a situation where a raise is called in this early stage of the game you either re-raise or push all-in depending on how many chips you have or how large the pot is. This is where pot odds and implied odds enter the game. Usually when a poker player is facing more than two additional callers, even a hand like AA will have a strong chance of losing; therefore try and push the other players out at least leaving you heads up, playing one one one.

The Poker bluff is a one of the most rewarding Allin's a player may ever have in NL poker. Really not a suggestion for the novice, or the weak conservative player. This Allin really cannot be described with accurate timing as the poker player will have to have achieved near pro status or have a heart of steal to preform. One of the most ultimate skills achieved in any game of poker is the ability to read your opponent. Almost like mind reading really, the ability to read your opponent down to a weaker hand and push Allin with the right timing will get a fold when the opponent could actually have nothing at all. Timing and reading the game can give the ultimate Allin bet!

When times are tough (less than 10 B.B.) is a perfect time to go all-in playing no limit poker. Whendeep in tournament play with a low chip stack, a decent hand, in a relatively good position on the table, with no prior raises. These are desperate times and you really hope at the worst that you will get one big stack to face off in heads play. Hoping he or she has a mediocre hand. This will enable you to double up and hopefully be in a fighting position to get back into your tournament or cash game.

Either way going all-in can make or break a game, use this play efficiently and you may find yourself with a nice profit at the end of a poker session, or reaching that final table in a tournament good luck!

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