Isolation (poker)
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In poker, an isolation play is usually a raise designed to encourage one or more players to fold, specifically for the purpose of making the hand a one-on-one contest with a specific opponent. For example, if an opponent raises and a player suspects he is bluffing, a player may reraise to pressure other opponents to fold, with the aim of getting heads up.
Isolation plays are most common against overly-aggressive players ("maniacs") who frequently play inferior hands, or with players who may have a drawing hand. Isolation plays are also common in tournaments to isolate a player who is "short stacked", that is, one who is in imminent danger of elimination, and so is likely to be playing aggressively out of desperation. When an opponent has a small pocket pair he may raise a large amount to knock out other players because typically a pocket pair is 50 percent in a heads up situation.
