All-In
Betting all of your remaining chips on a single hand. If you can't match a bet, going all-in puts you in contention for the main pot only.
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What Is All-In?
Going all-in is a powerful tool in no-limit poker because it removes any further decisions for the rest of the hand and forces opponents to make a decision for their entire stack. When a player goes all-in for less than a full bet or raise, a side pot is created among the remaining players who can still bet further. All-in situations are common in tournament poker, especially as stacks get shorter relative to the blinds.
Examples
A short-stacked tournament player pushes all-in with pocket tens to try to double their chip stack.
In a cash game, a player moves all-in on the river as a bluff to represent a made hand.
Strategy Tips
Before moving all-in, calculate your fold equity and consider whether opponents are likely to call with a range that beats you. In tournaments, understand ICM implications since going all-in and losing can be far more costly than the chips alone suggest. Use pot odds and implied odds to decide whether calling an all-in bet is profitable. Short-stacked players should study push-fold charts to make mathematically sound all-in decisions preflop.