PokerzinIn No-Limit Hold'em, you never need more chips than you have to stay in a hand. If the bet is bigger than your stack, you can go all-in with everything you have and compete for the part of the pot you were able to cover. The rest becomes a separate pot, the side pot, contested only by those who had chips for it.
The rule in one sentence
You can only win from each opponent as much as you put into the hand. A player who went all-in with 100 chips can win up to 100 from each player, never more.
An example with three players
Ana has 100 chips, Ben has 300 and Carl has 300. Ana goes all-in with 100, Ben bets 300 (all-in) and Carl calls.
| Pot | How it's formed | Total | Who competes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | 100 from each of the three | 300 | Ana, Ben and Carl |
| Side | The other 200 from Ben and from Carl | 400 | Only Ben and Carl |
At showdown, each pot is settled separately:
- If Ana has the best hand, she takes the main pot (300). The side pot (400) goes to the better of Ben and Carl.
- If Ben has the best hand, he takes both pots: 700.
- If Ana has the best hand and Ben and Carl tie, Ana takes 300 and Ben and Carl split the 400 side pot, 200 each.
Several all-ins, several pots
The same logic applies with four, five or six players. Each smaller stack that went all-in creates a new "step": a pot with what everyone could still cover at that level. Each pot is decided only among the players who took part in it.
If nobody called someone's bet, the excess goes back to them. Nobody competes for chips that no opponent covered.
Common questions
Can a player who is all-in win more than they bet?
They can win up to the same amount from each opponent who called. With 100 chips against two opponents, the maximum is 300: your 100 plus 100 from each of them.
Can I be forced out of a hand for lack of chips?
No. If you don't have the chips to call a bet, you can call with everything you have (all-in) and stay in the hand until the showdown, competing for the main pot.
What if two players go all-in for different amounts?
Each different amount creates a step. With stacks of 100, 250 and 400, for example, the main pot takes 100 from each, the first side pot takes another 150 from the players with 250 and 400, and the remaining 150 of the player with 400 goes back to them, because nobody covered it.
Can players still bet after an all-in?
Yes, those who still have chips keep betting among themselves on the following streets. Those bets go into the side pot, which the all-in player doesn't compete for.
All-in as strategy
- With a short stack, the all-in is a weapon. With fewer than 10 to 15 big blinds, there's no room to raise and fold later. Going all-in before the flop with good hands puts maximum pressure on and guarantees you see all five cards.
- With a big stack, the all-in is rarely the best bet. With 100 big blinds, an all-in before the flop risks a lot to win just the blinds, and only gets called by hands that beat you.
- A player who is already all-in can no longer bluff or be bluffed. The bets between the other players only affect the side pot.
In Pokerzin, the ranking takes into account your chance at the moment of the all-in, not just whether the card fell on the river. That way, a good all-in counts in your favor even when luck doesn't help.