What is Side Pot in Poker

Introduction

In poker, a side pot comes into play when a player bets all-in with fewer chips than required for the next wager, leading to the formation of an extra pot. This enables players with extra chips to keep betting.

This blog will explore the rules about poker side pots, how showdowns work, and how winnings are divided fairly.

What is a Side Pot in Poker?

In poker, a side pot is a separate pot created when one or more players are all-in but not all players at the table are involved in the same amount of chips. It's a crucial concept to understand, especially in games with multiple betting rounds like Texas Hold'em and Omaha.

Objective

Side pots are crucial in poker for maintaining fairness and strategic depth. They ensure players with different chip stacks have equal opportunities to win, preventing larger stacks from dominating.

Side Pot Poker Rules

Here's how side pots work in the poker game.

Main Pot

The main pot is formed by the total amount of chips all players have contributed to before one or more players went all-in.

Side Pot

The extra bets that a few players make after another one has gone all-in are put in a different pot called poker side pot. Nonetheless, the all-in player cannot win the side pots because they can’t contribute any more chips.

Multiple Side Pots

In case several individuals go all-in such that other players place additional bets, multiple side pots are likely to emerge. As per side pot poker rules, each subsequent all-in player can solely win the pots they have contributed to.

Showdown

In case of multiple pots, at the end of the hand, they are paid out from main pot to side pots. Players show their cards and the best hand wins corresponding pots.

Example of Side Pots

Suppose there is a Texas Hold'em game with four players: A, B, C and D each beginning with 100 chips.

Preflop: Both A and B call 10 chip big blind, C raises to 30 chips and D calls. A and B also call this raise so now there are four players with 100 chips each and a total pot being 120 (A and B both have put in 10 chips apiece; C made it 30 while D added 40).

Flop: The dealer deals the flop (the first three community cards) - 7♠️, 9♦️, J♣️. Alice bets 50 chips, Bob folds, Charlie goes all-in for his remaining 70 chips, and David calls Charlie's all-in.

At this point:

A has 50 chips left.

C is all-in with 70 chips.

D has 60 chips left.

Main Pot and Side Pot: The main pot is formed from A's initial bet of 50 chips, plus C's all-in bet of 70 chips, making a total of 120 chips. D can still bet, so his additional 10 chips go into the main pot.

However, since A and D both have chips remaining, any further bets they make will go into a side pot. A and D both put in an additional 10 chips each, creating a side pot of 20 chips (10 chips from A and 10 chips from D).

Turn and River

The dealer deals the turn (4♠️) and the river (K♦️) without any further betting.

Showdown

Players reveal their hands:

A shows A♠️ 10♠️ for a pair of tens.

C shows Q♠️ Q♣️ for a pair of queens.

D shows K♣️ 10♦️ for a pair of kings.

In this scenario, C has the best hand with a pair of queens, so he wins the main pot of 120 chips. However, he cannot win the side pot because he is all-in.

A and D then compare their hands. A has a pair of tens, while D has a pair of kings. D has the better hand, so he wins the side pot of 20 chips.

After the pots are awarded, A is left with 30 chips, B has folded, C is eliminated, and D has 130 chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate side pot in poker?

These are ways to calculate side pots in poker:

Find the main pot which contains all bets of non-all-inners.

From the next player’s bet, remove what was put in by the previous player who was all-in player for a side pot amount.

Side pots are made up of all other money (no-all-in players) plus any left overs after an ‘all in’ person has contributed.

What is the logic of the side pot in poker?

The idea behind having a side pot in Poker is to ensure that there is fairness and full betting action even when one or more players have gone all-in. This allows for other players to bet against each other without being hindered by the all –in individual players. It guarantees equity distribution of funds among active participants based on their involvement with respect to this broader initiative thus bringing about a win-win situation.

What is a side bet in poker?

A side bet in poker refers to an additional wager made between players outside of the main pot. These bets can be made on various outcomes, such as the outcome of the hand, the performance of individual players, or other specific conditions. Side bets are separate from the main pot and are settled independently of the hand's outcome.

How do you deal with side pots in poker?

Dealing with side pots in poker requires careful management by the dealer or players involved. Here's a basic process:

• Identify the all-in players and determine the main pot.
• Calculate the side pot(s) by subtracting the contributions of all-in players from subsequent bets.
• Keep track of each pot separately and ensure that all bets are correctly allocated to the appropriate pot.
• At the showdown, reveal the hands and award each pot to the best hands eligible to win it.
• If there are multiple side pots, award them in order from the main pot to the highest side pot, ensuring that each pot's winners receive their share of the winnings.

Conclusion

Side pots incentivize aggressive play, requiring players to consider multiple pots simultaneously. By keeping track of the side pots, players can manage risk effectively and strategically choose their involvement based on hand strength and pot odds. Overall, side pots maximize action and elevate the game's excitement, making them a fundamental aspect of poker strategy and gameplay.