The size of bets and raises in limit Hold’em makes it tough to force players out of pots, but the nature of short-handed play means that if you re-raise a raiser, you’re likely to get to the flop heads-up, and if you can make this move in position (that is, by re-raising behind the raiser) you can set up the very profitable isolation (or iso) play. Why profitable? Because the dead money from the blinds makes even 50/50 card situations favourable for you – and your position means you’re often much better off than 50/50!

For example, suppose you have A-K on the button. Play folds to the player on your right, who raises. You could flat-call, hoping to hit an Ace or a King on the flop, but you’re probably ahead in the hand (since players will correctly raise with almost anything short-handed), so go ahead and re-raise to isolate, seeking to take the flop heads-up and in position.

Most of the time you’ll miss the flop because most of the time everybody misses the flop, but even if you do, you’re still in good shape. The increased pot size gives you correct odds to proceed with hands as weak as middle pair or even just Ace-high. But that’s only if you have to play the hand defensively. Since you’re in position, your foe will probably yield the initiative to you, and if he does, you can hammer away on the flop, or go for the delayed continuation bet.

It’s not often in limit Hold’em that a single bet will have the effect of thinning the field and creating profitable position plays, but this is one case where it will.

By piling your bet on top of your foe’s bet, you create favourable odds for everyone else to fold, and for your single outof- position opponent to call. It’s the best of both worlds. Try it and see!