All-In

Detailed Explanation

Going all-in means committing every chip you have to the current pot. In no-limit poker, any player may push all their chips into the middle at any time, forcing opponents to call the full amount or fold. If an opponent has fewer chips, a side pot is created for the excess — the all-in player can only win the main pot up to the amount they contributed.

The all-in move is strategically powerful because it removes implied-odds calculations: the price to call is absolute. It is used as a value bet with strong hands to maximise chip extraction, as a bluff to apply maximum fold equity, or as a defensive shove when pot-committed and unable to call any raise.

In tournament poker, going all-in and losing means elimination. This raises the decision stakes dramatically compared to cash games, where a player can simply rebuy. The effective stack — the smaller of two players' stacks — determines the maximum risk in any all-in confrontation. Correctly identifying spots to risk one's tournament life (or avoid doing so unnecessarily) is a hallmark of skilled tournament play.