Poker All-In Guide | Side Pots, Chops & Run It Twice
A complete guide to poker all-in rules. Learn how side pots are calculated, when a chop happens, and how Run It Twice works, with diagrams and examples.
📝 This article dives deeper into the "all-in" action from Actions Explained. If you haven't covered the six basic actions (fold, check, call, bet, raise, and all-in), we recommend reading that first.
Poker All-In Complete Guide
What You'll Learn
- Basic all-in rules and when they happen
- How side pots work and how to calculate them
- Two meanings of "chop" (pot chop & blind chop)
- How Run It Twice works and table etiquette
What Is an All-In? Basic Rules
All-in means betting all of your remaining chips. It's abbreviated as AI in hand histories and commonly called a jam or shove in conversation.
There are two main situations where an all-in occurs.
Going All-In Voluntarily
You push all your chips in when you believe your hand is strong enough to win, or when you want to pressure your opponent into folding. It puts maximum pressure on your opponents, but if you get called and lose, you lose all your chips.
Going All-In Because You're Short-Stacked
When you want to call an opponent's bet or raise but don't have enough chips to match it, you can go all-in with whatever you have to stay in the hand.
For example, if your opponent bets 200 chips but you only have 80 chips, you can go all-in for your full 80 chips.
The winner takes 160 chips.
However, in pots with 3 or more players, the excess chips are managed separately as a side pot (explained below).
What Happens After an All-In
Once you're all-in, you can't take any more actions for the rest of the hand. You wait until all other players finish their actions, then proceed to showdown.
💡 If community cards (flop, turn, river) are still to come after an all-in, they are dealt as normal. The all-in player doesn't need to put in any more chips and simply proceeds to showdown.
⚠️ Common Beginner Mistake: Calling an All-In Too Light
The player going all-in can do so with any hand — strong or weak. However, when calling an opponent's all-in, you should fold if you don't have a reasonable chance of winning at showdown. "I've already put in so much, I can't fold now..." — calling with a weak hand out of stubbornness is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
How Side Pots Work
A side pot is a separate pot that forms when 3 or more players are involved in an all-in and they have different chip amounts.
The fundamental rule of all-ins is simple:
An all-in player can only win from each opponent an amount equal to what they put in.
Once you understand this principle, side pots become easy to grasp.
3-Player All-In (Example)
Main Pot: 150 chips
A's 50 chips × 3 players = 150
→ All three (A, B, C) are eligible to win
Side Pot: 200 chips
B's remaining 100 chips × 2 players (B & C) = 200
→ Only B or C can win (A is not eligible)
Who Wins Changes Everything
With side pots, the order of hand strength completely changes how chips are awarded.
| Hand Strength | Main Pot (150) | Side Pot (200) | Total Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| A > B > C | A wins 150 | B wins 200 | A: 150 / B: 200 |
| B > A > C | B wins 150 | B wins 200 | B: 350 |
| C > A > B | C wins 150 | C wins 200 | C: 350 |
| A > C > B | A wins 150 | C wins 200 | A: 150 / C: 200 |
Pay special attention to the A > B > C scenario. Even though A has the best hand, they can only win the main pot of 150 chips. Since A has no claim to the side pot, its 200 chips go to B, the next strongest hand. A short-stacked player has a cap on how much they can win, no matter how strong their hand is.
🎯 Side Pot Calculation Tip: Start with the player who has the fewest chips. Multiply their amount by the number of players to create the main pot. Then take the next shortest stack's remaining amount and repeat. That's all there is to it.
📝 In practice, the dealer calculates side pots automatically. You don't need to do the math yourself, but understanding the concept helps you avoid confusion when you win a hand but don't receive the full pot.
Two Meanings of "Chop"
The word chop has two meanings in poker:
- Pot Chop — When two or more players have the same hand strength at showdown and split the pot equally (a tie)
- Blind Chop — When only the SB and BB remain preflop and they agree to take back their blinds without playing the hand
Let's start with pot chops.
What Is a Pot Chop?
When multiple players show down hands of equal strength, the pot is split equally among them. This is a pot chop.
Two Patterns That Lead to a Pot Chop
Chops typically occur in two situations:
Pattern 1: The Board Makes the Best Hand
Board: A♥ K♠ Q♦ J♣ T♥
Every player can use the A-to-T straight on the board. Regardless of hole cards, the board itself forms the best possible hand, so it's a chop for everyone.
Pattern 2: Kickers Are Identical
Board: K♥ K♣ 9♦ 5♠ 3♥
- Player A's hand: A♦ J♠ → Pair of Kings, kicker A
- Player B's hand: A♣ J♥ → Pair of Kings, kicker A
Both have a pair of Kings with an Ace kicker. The second kicker is also J for both. Their best 5-card hands are identical at K-K-A-J-9, so it's a chop.
Want to learn more about how kickers work? Check out the article below.
Odd Chip Rule
When a chopped pot can't be split evenly, the odd chip goes to the player closest to OOP (out of position — the first player to act, counting clockwise from the left of the dealer button) who is eligible for the pot.
Example: 101 chips split between 2 players → 50 chips each, the remaining 1 chip goes to the most OOP player.
Not sure what OOP (out of position) means? Check out the article below on position basics.
What Is a Blind Chop?
A blind chop can be used when everyone folds preflop and only the SB and BB remain. Both players take back their blinds without looking at their cards and the hand is over.
This is done by mutual agreement between the players, not by rule.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Benefit | Saves rake (table fee) and time |
| Etiquette | Propose before looking at your cards. Just ask "Chop?" |
| Can you decline? | Absolutely. Don't take it personally if declined |
| Important | Be consistent. Declining only when you have a strong hand is bad etiquette |
⚠️ Some poker rooms prohibit blind chops. If you're visiting a new venue, check the house rules first.
How Run It Twice Works
What Is Run It Twice?
Run It Twice (also called Twice in live games) means dealing the remaining community cards twice after an all-in, with each run determining half the pot.
This is a cash game only rule — it's not allowed in tournaments.
Step-by-Step Example
Player B: Q♥ J♥ (flush draw)
Board: K♥ 8♥ 3♣
→ A wins (pair of Kings) → takes half the pot
→ B wins (heart flush completed) → takes the other half
In this example, A won the first run and B won the second, so they split the pot evenly. This kind of one-win-each split is also called a chop. Of course, the same player can win both runs.
EV Doesn't Change — It Reduces Variance
Running it twice does not change your long-term expected value (EV). What it changes is variance (the size of the swings).
| Without Run It Twice | With Run It Twice | |
|---|---|---|
| EV | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Swing Size | Large (win all or lose all) | Smaller (more likely to split) |
| Best For | When you don't mind short-term swings | When you want to limit losses on big pots |
Think of Run It Twice as "insurance that smooths out the waves of winning and losing."
Live Poker Etiquette
Here's how to propose and respond to Run It Twice at the table.
| Situation | What to Say |
|---|---|
| Proposing | "Twice?" or "Want to run it twice?" |
| Accepting | "OK" or "Sure" with a nod |
| Declining | "One time" — that's all you need to say |
💡 The proposal should be made right after the all-in is confirmed, before the dealer turns any cards. If not everyone agrees, the cards are dealt once as normal. Declining is perfectly fine — don't overthink it.
📝 Some games offer "Run It Three Times" or more, but few poker rooms support this. Knowing Run It Twice is more than enough.
Summary
🎯 Key Takeaways
- All-In = Betting all your chips. Can be voluntary or forced by a short stack
- Side Pot = A separate pot that forms when 3+ players are in an all-in with different stack sizes. Short-stacked players can only win up to the amount they put in
- Chop = A tie where the pot is split equally among players with the same hand strength
- Run It Twice = Dealing remaining community cards twice after an all-in. Doesn't change EV, but reduces variance
Once you understand all-in rules, you can handle big pots with confidence. If you're still unsure about basic poker actions, check out Actions Explained as well.
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