Jam
To go all-in, especially as an aggressive preflop action.
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What Is Jam?
Jamming is common shorthand for moving all-in, frequently used in short-stack and push/fold contexts where a player commits their entire remaining stack in a single aggressive action. The term applies to any street but is especially associated with preflop shoves in tournament poker.
Examples
A short-stacked player jams all-in from the button with any two reasonable cards, applying maximum pressure on the blinds.
A player jams over an opponent's raise with a strong hand, looking to get maximum value while denying equity to drawing hands.
Strategy Tips
Use push/fold charts to guide your jamming decisions when short-stacked, since jamming the correct range preflop is often more profitable than a standard raise-and-fold-to-pressure approach. Consider your opponents' calling ranges and stack sizes before jamming, since a jam that looks profitable against a tight caller may be unprofitable against a wide calling range. Use jams strategically to deny equity to drawing hands on the flop or turn when holding a strong made hand on a wet board. Avoid jamming too predictably as your only aggressive action, since observant opponents can adjust their calling ranges accordingly.