All-Ins - How often?

[bjj_jay]

How often do more advanced players find themselves going all-in?
In other words, does it occur at least once during a sitting or less frequently? I've only gone all-in in a NL ring game a handful of times. Does it pay off? Assuming you go all-in with the nuts, who would actually call? Thanks again for any advice.

[a500lbgorilla]

I push when I know I have the best of it. It happens a handful of times, and usually when I'm betting all-in, its a large pot and more likely to be called. But you shouldnt be risking it unless you've got an excellent read. If you sorta don't know what they've got, don't risk that much on the river bet.

-'rilla

[SteveO]

You are asking about cash games and not tournaments, right? Tournaments are a whole different animal and it depends on the blinds and chip counts etc... In tournament you will find yourself AI quite often compared to a cash game. Some of the things below are more geared to tournament situations or short handed situations. In full ring game you are only going to find yourself AI with AA KK AK QQ or when you make a huge hand/nuts.

The next consideration is # of opponents. You will be AI more often on a short handed table where you muscle some big pots with less than the nuts which frequently occurs on 6max tables.

Other than that, it depends on your holding and the board. AI is useful when you are against a maniac who you can get a call from. Put him AI when you have a premium holding like AA, KK or AK.

AI is great after a slowplay. You hit your set and lead out with a weak bet and opponent raises, reraise AI. It is an assault on his manhood. Maybe he has an overpair or two pair and will double you up. Maybe he thinks you are messing with him and will look you up. This is a profitable online play.

You hit a set and there is a flush draw or str8 draw on the board. Push it AI and take what's in the pot.

AI is a powerful semibluff. If you hit OESD with overcards or four to a flush with overs push AI and hopefully take it down or get a call and complete your hand. A risky play but fun to gamble sometimes. Make sure you are semibluffing at a good size pot.

Limp in early position w/ AA or KK and when pot is raised behind you go AI.

You have a medium pair like 99-JJ and a bunch of limpers in front of you. Push AI.

Things NOT to do:

You have the NUTS...don't reflexively push AI but rather milk as much as you can.

Don't overplay two pair or TPTK with an AI bet unless you have a good read on the situation or are short handed/heads up.

Don't go AI when the pot is very small. The risk is absolutely not worth the reward. Exception, if you are trying to prime up the table by setting your image to "maniac".

Don't bluff AI.

Don't call an AI unless you really like your hand, you have a great read on you opponent or your opponent is desperate/short stacked.

Overall, you don't do much AI in a cash game compared to a tournament becasue often the risk is not worth the reward. Simple pot size bets or 1/2 pot bets are sufficient to mess with opponents odds and you don't have to risk your whole stack. The cards and your opponents will dictate how often you are AI.

[great icon]

>>>Don't bluff AI. <<<

but didnt Chris Moneymake BLUFF ALL-IN last year at the final table heads up against sam farha... THE HAND BEFORE THE FINAL HAND OF THE TORNAMENT? was that a mistake, and if it was, it sure was a gamble, because it payed off big time.

[a500lbgorilla]

It wasn't the hand before the final hand of the tounry. If you watch you see Sammy folding his next hand. Their heads up match was a lot of folding.. they edited it. And you cannot relate to bluffing AI headsup at a tounry final table vrs full ring cash game. Two totally (And i mean completely) different games.

-'rilla

[Invizard]

I go all in when I have the nuts.

Rarely do it preflop unless I have KK or AA.

Occasional All in bluff, when they are showing weakness.

[bigred]

I usually go all in with best hand, preflop with AA and KK (unless I feel another player has AA) or when I'm in full tilt, like 4 min ago with jko when I landed top pair and lost to AA, because I'm stupid when I'm tired.

[thepokerdude]

i usually raise pretty big with AA or KK preflop, and if reraised, go all in. if not reraised, i will go all in right after the flop if the board doesn't pair. i just never slow play those made hands anymore, been cracked too many times and winning a small-medium pot is always better than losing a monster pot because of the dumbass who you just let check into a seven high straight. late in tourneys i will go all in after the flop if i have top pair with a decent kicker if i sense weakness. on a full table early in a tourney or at a full ring game, i'll only go all in with the nuts or damn close to it. with ten people at a table, if you don't have the best of it, someone else probably does.

[JJDylan]

in a normal ring game, i'll go all in if im sure i have the best hand and the pot is large enough to justify it. I really hate going all in pre-flop with anything, even AA/KK just to the fact that i dont like letting luck take over, even if i do have the best of it, but if the situation arises you certianly cant back down.