All-in Pre-flop – Is it Worth It?

It’s a pattern you often see while playing the smaller stakes tables: somebody goes unprovoked all in pre-flop. You’re forced to toss your otherwise playable hand and watch as everybody else does the same. Occasionally somebody gets fed up with it and calls. Usually to watch their money lost to a pair of aces or kings. So why do people go all-in? And more importantly, is it a winning strategy? The answer is essentially no, though it can be employed as a profitable tactic.