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What is Open Shove?

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What is Open Shove?

What Does Open Shove Mean in Poker?

An aggressive poker move where a player bets all of their chips at the start of a hand, before any community cards are revealed. This is typically done in Texas Hold’em or Omaha during the pre-flop betting round, often used to put maximum pressure on opponents or to exploit a short stack position. For more strategies on how to play poker, check out our resources.

When You Might Hear Or Use The Term Open Shove:

This term is commonly mentioned in situations involving short stack play in tournaments or when a player wants to pressure opponents in a cash game setting.

In-Game Example:

You’re in a tournament with a short stack of 12 big blinds. Action folds to you in the small blind, and you open shove with AK to put pressure on the big blind.

Strategy / Tips:

  • Best Practice: Use open shove to exploit opponents’ tendencies to fold marginal hands when they face significant pressure.
  • Common Mistake: Shoving with too wide of a range when opponents are likely to call with strong hands.
  • Pro Tips: Open shove effectively by considering stack sizes, opponent tendencies, and position. It’s more effective against players who are risk-averse.
  • Differences playing over the table vs online: In live games, physical tells can influence the decision to call an open shove, while online play relies more on timing and bet sizing patterns.

Alternative Names:

Jam, All-in Bet

FAQs:

Q: What should I consider before making an open shove?
A: Assess your stack size, position, the tendencies of remaining players, and the tournament or cash game dynamics.

Related Terms:

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