Isolation (poker)

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 the player to your right raises and you suspect he is bluffing, you can reraise, forcing most of the other players to fold, leaving you one-on-one with that player.

This is often done with "maniacs" or overly-aggressive players who frequently play inferior hands. It is also frequently done 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.

See also : Poker