Poker glossary · Basics
What does “side pot” mean in poker?
Definition
Side pot: A side pot is a separate pot created when one player is all-in and the others keep betting chips the all-in player can’t match.
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An all-in player can only win from each opponent as much as they put in themselves. Any extra chips bet by the remaining players go into a side pot that only those players can win. A hand can have several side pots if more than one player is all-in with different stack sizes.
Example: Player A is all-in for 20. Players B and C each put in 50. The main pot is 60 (20 from each player). The side pot of 60 (30 each from B and C) can only be won by B or C.
Related terms
- All-inBetting all of your remaining chips.
- PotThe pot is the total of all chips bet by every player during a hand, which the winner or winners collect at the end.
- Effective stackThe effective stack is the smallest stack among the players in a hand, because that is the most anyone can win or lose against it.