All In Poker Rules: Going All In and Side Pots Explained
Nov 10, 2026 · The Editors
What going all in means in poker, what you can win when you are all in, how main pots and side pots are built and paid, and the all-in rules that cause the most arguments at a home game.
Going all in means betting every chip you have in front of you. It is the most dramatic move in poker, and the one that causes the most confusion at a home game, because as soon as one player is all in the pot has to be split into a main pot and one or more side pots. The rules below are the ones used in almost every cardroom.
Going all in: the basic rules
- Table stakes. You can only bet the chips on the table at the start of the hand. Nobody can reach into a wallet mid-hand, and nobody can be forced out of a hand because an opponent bets more than they have.
- You can always call for less. If someone bets more than your stack, you may call with everything you have. You are then all in and take no further part in the betting.
- You can only win what you matched. An all-in player can win, from each opponent, no more than the amount they themselves put in. Anything bet beyond that goes into a side pot they cannot win.
- The hand plays out. Once you are all in, the remaining cards are dealt and you show down for the pot you are eligible for, even if the other players keep betting.
How side pots work, with an example
Three players are in a hand. Ana has 50 chips, Ben has 150 and Cal has 150. Ana goes all in for 50, and Ben and Cal both put in 150.
| Pot | Built from | Total | Who can win it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main pot | 50 from each of the three | 150 | Ana, Ben or Cal |
| Side pot | The extra 100 from Ben and Cal | 200 | Ben or Cal only |
At showdown, settle the side pot first: compare Ben and Cal, and the better of those two hands takes the 200. Then compare all three hands for the main pot. If Ana has the best hand she takes the 150, and the side pot still goes to whichever of Ben and Cal is better. If a second player goes all in for a different amount, the same logic simply makes a second side pot.
The dealer should push the side pot chips to one side as soon as they form. Mixing them into one heap is how most all-in arguments start.
All in rules that cause arguments
Does a short all-in reopen the betting? In no-limit games, most cardrooms rule that an all-in raise smaller than a full raise does not reopen the betting to players who have already acted. They may call or fold, but not re-raise. Home games vary, so agree it before the cards come out.
Do all-in players show their cards? In tournaments, when a player is all in and no more betting is possible, everyone still in the hand turns their cards face up. In cash games it is usually left to the normal showdown order.
Is there an "all in" button? Many games use a marker — an all in dealer button or a spare chip — set in front of the all-in player so nobody bets at them by mistake or forgets which pots they are in.
All in or fold poker
"All in or fold" (sometimes called push or fold) is a quick variant where the only options are to go all in or fold: no calling small bets, no raising. It suits the end of a long night, or a tournament where the blinds are high compared with the stacks. Use real chips and the standard blinds and dealer button, and play it with normal poker hand rankings.
Keep it clear on the table
All-in hands are where a home game feels properly run or falls apart. A weighty dealer button that does not slide, a separate pile for each side pot and chips that stack cleanly make the maths easy for everyone to follow. If you are hosting, our guide to hosting a poker night covers the rest.
