What it means to be Pot Committed

No, this does not refer to an institution that poker players are sent to when they lose their mind from spending too many hours at the table. Instead, it refers to a point reached in a hand where you have invested so many of your chips into the pot you simply cannot fold and have to commit the rest of your remaining chips to the pot.

Do or die

Being pot committed is never a good thing. It could be a result of being short stacked or a failed bluff. It is a sickening feeling when you suddenly realise you have run into pokers equivalent of a dead-end alley.

Keep track of your chip stack

Always keep an eye on the size of your chip stack in relation to the pot. If you know that you are going to have to bet the majority of your chips with a marginal hand, then think again. Poker is a game of decisions and making the right one is essential to staying alive in tournaments and cash games. Once you are pot committed, it is game over when you make the wrong move.