📋 Rules

Side Pots Explained: All-In Action With Multiple Players

When one player is all-in but others still have chips, poker splits the action into a main pot and one or more side pots. Here's how awards and betting work at the showdown.

Simple three-player example

  • Player A goes all-in for $50.
  • Player B calls $50 and has $200 behind.
  • Player C calls $50 and has $500 behind.

The main pot is $150 (three × $50). A, B, and C can win it.

If B and C keep betting, additional chips go into a side pot that only B and C can win—A is not eligible for that pot.

At showdown

Each pot is resolved in order: main pot first, then side pots. A player can win the main and lose a side pot in the same hand.

Home games and casino parties

Charity and rental events often use fixed buy-ins—briefing guests on side pots keeps arguments down and the game moving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wins the main pot? ▼
The main pot includes only the chips all contested players could match. The shortest stack is eligible only for the main pot; deeper stacks contest side pots separately.
Can I raise if a player is all-in for less than a full bet? ▼
House rules vary for reopening action. In many rooms, if the all-in is a partial raise, subsequent players can call or fold; full raises may reopen betting for players who already acted.
#rules #all-in #side-pot #beginner

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