A key maneuver that you must be aware of in order to be successful in poker games, especially poker tournaments, is the isolation play. An isolation play can help you move forward in a tournament, so you should know how they work and when an opportunity for one arises.

Example of an isolation play in a poker tournament. You play poker in the middle stages of a poker tournament with blinds at 100-200. You have an average stack of about 3000 chips and are holding 8c 8h. You are prepared to limp in and try to flop a set when a short stack to your right, with 800 chips, moves all-in.

You recognize the opportunity to try an isolation play. You move all-in yourself, everyone else folds and your opponent turns over As 9s. No ace or nine appears on the board and your stack grows.

How an isolation play works. The idea behind the isolation play is to get heads-up against a single all-in opponent. This way, you have a good chance to eliminate a player and build your stack without having to worry about other opponents. If you just flat call or make only a small raise, a player behind you might sense weakness and put you all-in, giving you a very difficult decision. When you take the lead and move all-in instead, you give yourself an edge.

How isolating gives you an edge. You have this edge because your opponents have many incentives to fold and few incentives to call. If an opponent folds, he gets to stay out of the way while you attempt to eliminate another player, moving him up the ladder. Furthermore, he will get to see what you have anyway, so curiosity will not be a factor. Finally, your opponents may like their hand but fear that either you or the first raiser has that hand dominated.

Isolating is good for you because it gives you a better chance to win the pot and no chance to be eliminated. Your 88 is a favorite against the A9. However, if one other player calls, say someone holding KQ, you are now an underdog to the pot. Furthermore, if another player who is not all-in is in the pot and the flop comes with a overcard, which it usually will, you can be forced off the hand. Isolating protects you against these eventualities.