There are a lot of different scenarios that can materialize in home poker games, poker tournaments or cash games. So we’ll do our best to walk you through the most common all in situations you’ll find.
We’ve also created the perfect tool to end any confusion about side pots and all ins in your poker home games – the Side Pot Calculator. Just enter the numbers into the calculator and it does all the work for you, explaining who wins what amount from the pot.
If you’re still confused about all-in situations from time to time, you’re not alone. Any specific questions you might have let us know in the comments below and we’ll do our best to solve the dilemma for you. Read more:
Poker Side Pot Calculator
Rules for All-In Situations in Poker
No-Limit or “All In” poker gives each player the chance to only bet what’s in front of them at the poker table. These are called “table stakes,” it means that in a poker hand you can only bet whatever money or chips you had on the table when the hand started. You can’t reach for your wallet and bet more money, or put your car keys in the middle. What’s on the table is the only money you can put “all in” – even if it doesn’t match up exactly with the amount your opponent has.
All In Rules – Two Players
There are always situations where one player has more money (or chips) at the table than another. With just two players in the pot, this is an easy situation to resolve. A player can always call an “all in” with the rest of his or her chips. He or she is only eligible to win the portion of the pot that totals his or her entire stack at the start of the hand, though.
Example: There's $100 in the pot. You have $25 left and your opponent bets $50. You are not “priced out” of the pot so to speak. If you want to call, you can put your $25 in the pot. In this case, if no other players match the $50 bet, the opponent gets $25 back immediately - the amount you couldn't match. The player who shows down the best hand picks up the full pot in the middle of the table.
More Players = Side Pots
All-in rules for two players are pretty straightforward. Even if you don’t have enough in your stack to match the full all in bet you can always put whatever you have left into the middle and be eligible to win that portion of the pot. When three or more players are involved, things can get a little more complicated. Not impossible to figure out. But you'll need to create “side pots” that match up with what each player has is his stack/put into the middle.
RULE: The golden, overarching rule to keep in mind is that each player matches each opponents' bet with as much as is left in his stack.
- All players still in the pot are obligated to match whatever the smallest stack has contributed to the pot. This is the "main pot.”
- The player with the next smallest stack then is required to match remaining bets from players with bigger stacks, and so on.
- This is put into a “side pot” with each respective player.
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How to Calculate Side Pots
Say there are three players left in a hand with stacks as follows:
- Player A: $25
- Player B: $50
- Player C: $100
All players have gone all in. Based on the size of the smallest stack, the main pot has $75 in it - $25 from each player. This is the total amount Player A can win in the hand. The remaining chips of Player B ($25) are then matched up against the all-in bet from Player C. As he only has $25 more, Player C is only required to put in $25 to "cover" his extra bet.
The "side pot," contested only between Players B and C, is $50. As Player C has $50 no other player can match, that $50 is returned to his or her stack immediately. At showdown all players are eligible to win the main $75 pot.
If Player A has the best hand, he wins the main pot and the main pot only. Players B and C then compare their hands. The best hand between those two then takes the $50 side pot. If Player B or C has the best hand between all three players, that player takes the money in both the main pot and the side pot. If more than three players go All-In during a hand side pots are contested between individual players based on the exact same formula.
Important note: Only players who have contributed to a side pot can win the money in that side pot.
Try out our Side Pot Calculator right here to see it in action.
Betting Rules for All-In Situations
What happens if a player goes all in with a bet or a raise but it's not enough for a full raise to be completed?
There are two common rules: the "full bet" rule or the half bet rule. If the "full bet" rule is in effect, as it usually is in No-Limit games, and the amount of an all-in is less than the minimum bet or the full amount of the previous raise, it's now a "real" raise and doesn't reopen the betting. If the "half bet" rule is in play if the amount is over half the minimum bet it is a raise and reopens the action.
Example: Player 1 bets $50 into the pot and the player that acts next goes all in for $65. As the extra $15 is not enough to constitute a "full raise" on Player 1's original bet, a third player can still raise instead of call as he has not yet had the option to raise. Player 1 would then be able to call or raise the amount of Player 3's raise.
If the third player just calls, however, Player 1 can't re-raise as it would essentially be re-raising his own original bet. Player 1 can only call the extra $15 from both players and would contest an extra side pot of $30 with Player 3. The main pot would have $50 from all three players in it for a total of $150.
Side Pot and All-in FAQs
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When u play poker, do you win all the money?
In Texas Holdem, you can win the total pot amount after each hand / round. You do this by having the best hand at showdown or by having all the other players fold to you. Sometimes, two players may have the same hand and will split the pot - so neither gets all the money (chips). In a cash game, you get this straight away and can cash out anytime. Meanwhile, at the end of a tournament, there will be a payout structure where the total buy-ins of all the players (minus rake taken by the house if any) are split among the top players. So rarely does a single player claim all the money. -
What does all-in mean in poker?
When a player goes all-in, they're committing their entire chip stack to the pot. In a poker hand you can bet - at maximum - the money or chips you have left on the table. -
When can a player go all in in Texas Holdem?
In a Fixed Limit Texas Holdem game, you can only bet as much as the pot. But in a no-limit Texas holdem game, you can virtually go all-in any time you want. However, you'll only be eligible to win your stack multiplied by the amount of callers = the main pot. Also, the 'All-In' rule in table stakes allows the player to call a bet even when they don't have enough chips, instantly putting them all-in.
We suggest you don't bluff all-in. And only perform this move when you're sure you have the winning hand. Or if you have a short stack of chips and a strong hand pre-flop, like pocket pairs or AK suited. -
How do side pots work in poker?
If two players go all-in, and the bigger stack of chips wins, then the other player is out. On the other hand, if the shorter stack wins, they get double their chips from their opponent. However, if there are 3 or more players in a pot with at least one all-in, chips get added to both the main pot and side pot.
The all-in player can only win their stake - which in this case is the amount of their whole stack (all-in). So if the other two or more players are all-in with bigger stacks or alternatively continue to bet "on the side", these additional chips go into a SIDE POT. If the all-in player wins the hand, they can only win the main pot. The second best hand will take the side pot. -
Who wins the side pot in poker?
Scenario 1:
If player A has 500 chip stack, play B has 1,000 chips and player C has 1,500, there would be a side pot. Because the 500-chip stack can't win more than their stake. Who wins the round determines who wins the main pots and side pots. But say Player A has the best hand, they get their 500 back plus the 500 from player B and 500 from player C. If player C has the second-best hand, they get the extra 500 chips in the side pot from player B's all-in and Player B would be out. And vice versa if player B wins.
Scenario 2:
One player is all-in pre-flop and two other players call the all-in, so all these chips go into the main pot. The other two players still have chips to bet with, unlike player A and continue to bet after the flop until the river. At showdown all three players show cards and player A is the winner. Player A can only win the main pot. So the second-best hand from Player B or C will take the side pot.
If player ones goes in, second player calls and third player raises. 1st player is all in and can’t compete for 2nd pot. BUT 2nd player doesnt want to play for second pot just continue with first pot. Do they (2nd) need to fold and just lose out on both pots? 1st player can’t bet on 2nd pot and 2nd player doesn’t want to… does only 2nd player lose out on both just because they have chips to bet? Or just lose out on 2nd pot? Is that a fold on whole round?
The 2nd player has to play either for both or for none of the pots. He cannot chose to just play the first pot. If he has chips behind and player #3 bets, he either has to call or he forfeits all stakes in the first pot as well.
Kay, good question as it’s a bit of a special situation.
When the big blind is 10$ and one player bets all-in of 15$ this is considered a raise that the small and big blind players can just call if they want. If the small blind calls the 15$ and the big blind wants to raise, the minimum he can raise is still 20$ (the all-in player raised 5$, so big blind can raise 10$ (double the amount) and 10$, or raise to 20$ is also the original minimum raise). Had the all-in been 14$ the big blind’s minimum raise would still be 20$.
Hi,
Have a technical question – 3 players left in a game. The big blind is $10, the 1st player (UTG) has $15 left and bets all-in. 2nd player calls.
Question – how much should the 2nd player pay?
A) – Just $15 (i.e. the 1st player’s bet) or
B) – $20 because there is a 3rd player in the game and the minimum raise would have been $10 (i.e. $10, the blind + $10, the minimum raise).
C) – And finally, what should be the 3rd Player’s bet, if he wishes to raise the 2nd player?
thanks
may i ask if player 1 call 80 , players 2 race 160 and players 3 all in 180 so can play 1 all in ?
yes, player 1 will need to call for another 100, they can raise more if they have a bigger stack or even go all-in.
Player 2 then needs to decide if they want to join player 1 and 3 in continuing the hand.
In Texas holdem no limit, two players left in the hand, first player goes all in and I am last to act, no players behind me, is it legal for me to show.my cards before I declare if I call or if I fold? To get a read on the all in player
Hey Terry,
In many casinos this will be considered an action.
Showing your cards face up may indicate a call.
Pushing your cards face down indicates a fold and you don’t have to show.
Hi, so there was a disagreement on the table. There were 3 people involved in this hand. Player A went all in with his hand. Player B called the All in. Player C called and went all in with whatever he had left. So there is a side pot between player C and Player B now. Player B and player C agreed to run it twice for the side pot. Now since the flop was already there, the rest of the board ran twice and the first one was won by player C and the second one was won by Player B.
Now player C is saying the entire pot (main and side pot) will get chop chop whereas player B says the run it twice is only applicable for side pot and not the main pot. On our table we don’t allow multiple times running with more than 2 people but 2 people can run it with excess amount when a side pot is created. But now is player B eligible for the chop chop of the main pot or only the side pot? So In a scenario where player A would have won he would have taken The main pot and side pot would be chop chop between player B and C. Please advise.
@Vicky: This really depends on your house specific rules. But the way you stated the rules, it seems rather clear, that the main pot is not run twice as three players are involved. So the run it twice only applies to the side pot regardless whether the main pot is chopped or not.
Hi, if 3 players go in all in, players A and B have more chips then player C, player A win, who take the second place? Player B becouse had more chips then player C, or who had the best hand?(between B and C)
@Andrea: In that case the side pot (between player B and C) is decided by the better hand between player B and player C.
when only two players are left and both go all-in right after the blinds, does the round stops here and both players have to show their hands, only taken into account the current available cards, or should the dealer draw the remaining cards regardless and then see who has the best hand?
Hey Loïc,
If the final two players are all-in, they immediately flip over cards and the dealer deals out the rest of the community cards on the board.
The winner is determined after the final river card.
When there is 3 players left, 1 player has gone all in & the other two are still betting against each other, should the player that’s gone all in show their cards?
Hey Chloe, no the all-in player will turn over their cards at showdown along with the other two players but can only win the main pot (not side pot where the other two players kept betting into).
If all players call the big blind and the last player raises all in and some call his all in can the player before the all in re raise all in after he called the original bet from big blind.
Hey Trevor, yes they can, because the call referred to a lower bet, if there is a new raise, that player needs to then call that higher bet or fold.