Explanation of Side pot
Side pots are typically established in situations where one player has already pushed all their chips into the pot. Let's consider an example: suppose players A, B, and C are all in with their complete stacks during the flop.
Player A: 30bb
Player B: 100bb
Player C: 150bb
The size of the main pot is determined by the player with the smallest stack, known as the effective stack. Here, player A has just 30bb, meaning the main pot can reach a maximum total of 90bb with all three players (30bb * 3).
Player B retains 70bb, which he can use to contend with player C for the side pot . It's essential to note that player C cannot contribute his entire stack of 100bb because he only has 50bb that is effectively usable against player B's stack.
In summary:
Main Pot: 90bb (Player A, B or C can win this)
Side pot: 140bb (This is exclusively the side pot between player B and C)
Now let’s picture that player A actually has the best hand among the three, while player B shows the second strongest hand. How many chips will player B end up winning?
Player B won't gain anything from the main pot, but he will receive the full 140bb from the side pot . Therefore, his total profit will be 40bb after risking 100bb with his all-in.
Example of Side Pot in use -> The short stack had already gone all-in, so our focus shifted to competing for a side pot .
How to Incorporate Side Pot into Your Poker Strategy
Understanding side pots is crucial and can greatly influence your strategic decisions in the game. A 'dry side pot ' occurs when one player has pushed all-in while the others still have not made any side-pot bets. For instance, in a No-Limit Hold'em game on the flop.
Player 1: 50bb remaining
Player 2: 50bb remaining
Player 3: Already all-in
Players 1 and 2 must tread carefully regarding bluffs against each other. Even if player 1 successfully bluffs player 2 out of the hand, he must still reveal his hand against player 3, who is already all-in and cannot fold under any circumstances.
This concept is significant in strategy and is often ignored by beginner players. It's rarely advisable to attempt a bluff in this situation. dry side pot .
See Also