Main Pot

A main pot in poker is the initial pot of money that all players have contributed to before any side pots are created due to one or more players going all-in.

What is a Main Pot in Poker?

In poker, the main pot is the initial pot to which all players contribute during a round of betting. This pot is available to all players involved in the hand, regardless of their chip stack.

When a player goes all-in and their bet is less than what other players are betting, a side pot is created. The main pot then contains the amount that the all-in player can win, while the side pot contains the remaining amount. The main pot is always settled before the side pot.

Understanding Main Pot

Understanding the concept of the main pot and side pot is crucial in poker strategy, especially in no-limit games where players can go all-in at any time.

Examples of "Main Pot"

Player A goes all-in with $10, Player B calls with $50, and Player C calls with $50. The main pot contains $30 ($10 from each player), and the side pot contains $80 ($40 from Player B and Player C).
Player A goes all-in with $20, Player B calls with $20, and Player C calls with $20. There is no side pot in this case, and the main pot contains $60.

• "Player A can only win the main pot because he went all-in with fewer chips than the other players."
• "The main pot was split between two players who had the same hand."
• "Despite losing the main pot, I managed to win a sizeable side pot."