Side pot
A second pot for chips an all-in player cannot match, which only the players still covering can win.
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- What it means
- When a player goes all in for less than the others are betting, the pot splits in two. The main pot holds what the all-in player can win: their stake, matched by each caller. Every chip bet above that goes into a side pot that the all-in player has no claim on.
- How it is calculated
- Build the pots from the smallest stack up. Take the all-in amount from every player in the hand to make the main pot, then put what is left into the side pot. With a second short all-in, repeat the step, so there can be several side pots. At showdown the side pot is settled first among the players in it, then the main pot among everyone.
- Worked example
- A goes all in for 20, and B and C each put in 50. The main pot is 20 × 3 = 60, open to all three. The side pot is 30 × 2 = 60, open to B and C only. If A shows the best hand, A wins 60, and the better of B and C wins the other 60.
- Why it matters
- A short stack can win only what it covers, so a big pot can be split between two winners. Knowing how the pots divide tells you what you can still win when you call a short all-in and what you are playing for against the other caller.
See also: All-in, Split pot, Covering stack, Effective stack