When Is The Right Time To Push?

There is no bigger thrill in the game of poker than when you get the opportunity to put it all in the middle. The “all in” push is a staple and it is the most powerful move you can make in a game. But when you play poker, you have to be aware of the times when it’s right to push and those times when it’s not such a good move. This is especially true in online poker, where more and more players are taking advantage of the power of the push. So when is the right time to make the all in move?

Really, it depends upon the situation and what kind of cards you are holding. There are two reasons why you would push all in. Whether you are in one of the poker tournaments or you are playing in a cash poker game, pushing all in is only done when you think you have your opponent beat and he’s likely to call or when you think your opponent is weak and he’s likely to fold.

If you want to maximize your return in poker, then you have to be careful about when you use this move. Lots of bad things can happen when you push all in at the wrong time. Before the flop, there are only a couple of times when it’s good to push all in. If you are the short stack at the table in a tournament, you will want to push in with a solid hand, in hopes of doubling up quickly. Another reason to push would be if you were either in the blinds or on the button, and five or six players had limped into the pot in front of you. Pushing all in would be a good move because it’s unlikely that any of them would call after limping in, and then you can take home the blinds.

Likewise, you might want to push all in if you have pocket aces or pocket kings and there have been two raises in front of you. If someone has re-raised already, then he likely loves his hand. If you push all in with a huge pair, you might get a call and double up in your cash game.

After the flop, you will use the all in move to play power poker. If you feel like your opponent is committed to the pot and you know you have him beat, then the all in move can bring more value to your side. Likewise, if you know your opponent is weak and you don’t have much of a hand, you can use your knowledge to make him fold. It doesn’t matter what your cards are in that spot. You will just understand that he can’t call off all of his chips with 2nd pair in that situation.