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How Side Pots Work in Poker, With Examples
When a player is all-in for less than everyone else, the chips split into a main pot and side pots. Here's how to build them step by step.
By PokerLevelUp Team · · Updated · 2 min read
A side pot is created whenever a player goes all-in for less than the others are betting. It sounds fiddly, but it follows one simple rule: you can only win from each opponent as much as you put in yourself.
The rule
An all-in player is eligible for the main pot only. Any chips the other players put in beyond the all-in amount go into a side pot that only they can win. It works the same way in cash games and tournaments, and in any multiway pot.
Example 1: one short stack
Three players see a flop. Alex is all-in for 100. Bea and Cal each put in 300.
- Take the smallest all-in amount (100) from every player: 100 × 3 = 300 main pot. Alex, Bea and Cal can all win it.
- What’s left over goes to the side pot: (300 − 100) × 2 = 400 side pot. Only Bea and Cal can win it.
At showdown (see who shows first), compare Bea and Cal first to award the side pot, then compare the best of them with Alex for the main pot. Hands are ranked the usual way — check the hand rankings if in doubt. If Alex has the best hand, Alex wins the 300 main pot and the side pot goes to whichever of Bea and Cal is better.
Example 2: two short stacks
Four players are all-in or calling: Dee 50, Eli 120, Fay 300, Gus 300.
| Pot | How it’s built | Size | Who can win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 50 × 4 | 200 | Everyone |
| Side pot 1 | (120 − 50) × 3 | 210 | Eli, Fay, Gus |
| Side pot 2 | (300 − 120) × 2 | 360 | Fay, Gus |
Work from the smallest stack upwards and each layer peels off cleanly. The total (770) always equals every chip that went in.
Common questions
Does the short stack still show their cards? Yes — once everyone is all-in, hands are usually turned face up. When betting continues between the bigger stacks, the dealer resolves the side pots first, then the main pot.
What if two players tie? It’s a split pot: split only the pot they’re both eligible for. A tie for the main pot doesn’t affect who wins a side pot.
Do blinds and antes change anything? They go into the pot like any other chips, so count them in the layer they belong to. Dead money from folded players goes into the main pot.
Want the full rules around all-ins and minimum raises? Read Betting Rules: Minimum Raises, All-Ins & the Big Blind Option and the minimum raise rule. New to the game? Start with Texas Hold’em rules.
#rules#all-in#beginners
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