10 More Essential Hold’em Moves: The Isolation Play

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
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  • Last updated on: January 22, 2025

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There’s no simple fix for becoming a winning poker player.

But there are a handful of simple, easy-to-execute poker moves that can make a world of difference to your bottom line.

By fine-tuning these tactics you’ll have more tools to put to work at the poker table. You’ll be able to better understand your opponents and how to manipulate them, and that will translate directly to money in your pocket.

We already wrote the book on the 10 Essential Texas Hold’em Moves and now we’re back to bring you 10 more.

Today we explore the Isolation Play, a move that can narrow the field when you’re in a hand and increase your chances of taking down the pot.

How to Make an Isolation Play in Poker

In certain situations you don’t want to play a multi-way pot so by isolating one player in particular you can give yourself a better chance of making the best hand or using position to win the pot post-flop.

The What: While there are a few different reasons to make an isolation play the basic mechanics are the same. An isolation play refers to re-raising an opening raiser in order to push the other players at the table out of the pot, thus isolating only the player against whom you want to play.

The Why: By pushing the rest of the table out of a hand you will a) have a better chance of winning the pot by making the best hand by showdown or b) be able to use position to take down the pot after the flop.

The Where: Using the isolation play against a shorts-tacked player is most commonly used in tournaments while isolating limpers and maniacs can be used in both tournaments and cash games.

The When: Like most poker moves the isolation play works best when you’re in position.

Example: You open-raise to 3 big blinds with A Q after two players limp in early position. Your goal is to force everyone else out of the pot and isolate one of the limpers. By doing so, you can use your positional advantage post-flop against an opponent who often limps with weak or marginal hands.

How to Isolate the Right Way

Since there are a few different reasons for using the isolation play it’s extremely important to understand the situation, your opponent and why you’re trying to isolate him or her.

The basic concept behind the isolation play has to do with reducing the variables in the hand as much as possible so you’re better able to control the outcome.

The more players in a hand, the more likely someone will flop a big hand or get creative with a bluff after the flop. 

By isolating just one player you can take control of the hand and increase your chances of winning the pot.

Isolating Shortstacks

The most basic isolation play is used in tournaments when one of your opponents is dangerously low on chips and desperate to double up or pick up the blinds and antes.

Imagine you’re on the button and the player in cut-off is very short (say 6 big blinds). Action folds to the cut-off who moves all-in.

You know this player to be competent and not one to let himself be blinded out of the tournament. You know this player is willing to take a risk with marginal cards in order to pick up the blinds and antes.

You look down at A-J and must now decide how to proceed. If you just call, the blinds will have very good pot odds to call with marginal hands (for example the big blind will have to call five big blinds for a chance to win a pot of 20 big blinds).

And as we said before, the more players in the pot, the harder it’ll be for you to have the best hand by showdown. To put it in practical terms let’s say the short-stacked cut-off shoved with K-Q and the big blind is sitting with 5-6 suited.

In a heads-up pot against the cut-off you have a roughly 60 percent chance of making the best hand by the river. If the player in the big blind enters the pot, however, your chances of showing down the best hand drop to 35 percent.

By three-betting instead of calling you price the big blind out of coming along with a speculative hand, allowing you to go heads-up against the shortstack who is shoving with a very wide range.

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Isolating Maniacs

In the previous example we used the isolation play to increase our chances of showing down the best hand. But the same play can be used to isolate an overly-aggressive player and allow you to use position to win pots after the flop.

Imagine you’re playing a $1/$2 cash game and the player to your right is raising way too many hands and generally playing very loose. You know he can’t have a premium hand every time he comes in for a raise and since you have position, you can use his aggressive style against him.

The next time he raises you look down at pocket fours. It might be tempting to just call and try to flop a set but since you’re only going to flop a four one in eight times, the vast majority of the time you’ll be forced to fold to the aggressive player’s continuation bet.

Another problem is that if you just call, it’s going to drag other players into the pot behind you who will have the correct pot odds to call with other pocket pairs, suited connected and other speculative hands.

By three-betting you will push those same players out of the hand and allow you to go heads-up against a player who’s out of position and playing a very wide range of hands.

Any two unpaired cards will miss the flop two out three times which means the majority of the time your opponent will be forced to fold when you continuation bet the flop.

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Isolating Limpers

Using the isolation play against weak players who limp too much uses the same basic concept as isolating maniacs.

Since limpers are usually just trying to see a cheap flop with marginal hands, you can raise in position even if you don’t have a premium hand. Most of the time the limper will just fold but when they do call it’s usually a mistake.

One of the biggest beginner leaks in poker is limp-calling too much out of position with marginal cards.

And since limping too much is generally a sign of a weak player, you should be trying to play as many pots against them as possible, especially when you’re in position.

So next time you identify a player as limping too much consider raising. Hopefully the rest of the table will fold and you’ll either win the pot preflop or go heads-up in position against a weak player which is always a recipe for profit.

Example: You notice a player in middle position limps into many pots with questionable hands. You are on the button with 7 6 and see everyone else fold. Raising to 3 or 4 big blinds here serves to isolate the limper, who will either fold preflop or call out of position with a weak range.

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A Quick Reminder About Big Hands

The isolation play is very useful when you have premium hands like pocket Aces or Kings. Aces and Kings are obviously great hands but if you allow too many people see a flop there’s a good chance your pocket monster won’t be the best hand at showdown.

Watch our 3-minute video below and see how to put the isolation play into action:

Isolation Plays in Modern Poker

Professional players increasingly use isolation tactics to exploit opponent tendencies and navigate tough fields. By blending game-theory concepts with live reads, you can fine-tune your isolation approach and maximize your expected value.

Mastering the isolation play means understanding when you can go for thin edges and force your opponents into difficult decisions. At higher stakes or late in tournaments, players often adjust their calling and three-betting ranges. If you can identify those adjustments, you can respond by changing your own isolation strategy accordingly.

Balancing Your Isolation Ranges

When you opt for an isolation play, balancing your range is crucial. If your re-raises are always with premium hands, observant opponents will adjust by folding more often or four-betting with a balanced range themselves. Adding hands like suited connectors or low pocket pairs can help you secure more calls from weaker players while still allowing you to represent strength on dry or dynamic boards.

Another vital element is sizing. If you isolate with a smaller raise size, you might induce too many calls. If you go too large, you might commit more chips than necessary with medium-strength or speculative hands. Striking the right balance depends on factors like table composition, your own image, and the effective stack sizes in play.

Implementing Isolation in Future Game Simulations

Advanced players sometimes run simulations to project how isolation strategies affect their equity in deep or short-stack situations. Using a solver or specialized software can reveal optimal three-betting frequencies against different opponent types. While no simulation can replicate real poker perfectly, analyzing your isolation lines with these tools can reveal profitable spots you might otherwise miss and help refine your intuition during actual play.

FAQ

What is an isolation play?

An isolation play is a re-raise intended to push other players out of the pot and focus the action on just one opponent. It is often used when facing a shortstack’s all-in, a limp, or an over-aggressive raise, allowing you to take control of the hand more effectively.

Should you always isolate shortstacks with marginal hands?

It depends on table dynamics, stack sizes, and your read on the shortstack’s range. If the shortstack is desperate and shoving any two decent cards, slightly wider calls or re-raises can be profitable, but you must be cautious if other players have yet to act behind you.

How does position influence isolation plays?

Position is one of the most important factors. Having position allows you to see how your opponent reacts post-flop and makes it easier to control the pot. You can also continuation bet effectively if your opponent checks to you.

What if you only isolate with strong hands?

If you only do it with big pairs and premium holdings, observant opponents might adjust by folding more often. Mixing in a few speculative hands like suited connectors can help balance your range and keep opponents guessing.

How can isolation plays work against a maniac?

When facing someone who raises frequently, isolating by three-betting can help you go heads-up against a weak range. Many times, the maniac will either fold preflop or miss the flop entirely, allowing you to continuation bet and take the pot.

Do GTO concepts apply to isolation strategies?

Yes. Although real-world conditions rarely mirror pure GTO situations, solver-based analysis can inform your isolation frequencies, sizing, and post-flop lines. A balanced approach can prevent sharp opponents from exploiting your predictable ranges.

Why do deep-stacked players still use isolation raises?

Even with deeper stacks, isolation can help you avoid multi-way pots where your premium hands decrease in value. It also ensures you maintain control of the pot against a single opponent, giving you room to maneuver on later streets.

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