Please teach me how to calculate sidepots!

[Kellon]

Probably belongs in the beginners forum, but for sure one of you folks must be able to lay out a clear, simple methodology for managing sidepots. The home games I've played in most of my life never had them (we just dug into our pockets to come up with more cash) and the casinos, obviously, do it all for us.

I don't know why I have problems with calcualting sidepots, but for some reason I just can't seem to get it. Prolly cuz I'm a real dumb butt.

(And, yes, I did a search, but there doesn't appear to be one single thread in any forum about this. It must be the single most obvious issue in poker.)

[JKDStudent]

Don't put chips into the pot until the end of a betting round. Keep them in front of the players. Then, all you have to do if a player goes all in is have each player match the lowest bet and toss all of that into the main pot. Anything extra goes into the side. Determine the winner of the side pot(s) first (last pot formed is the first pot contested), then the main. If your players are 'splashing the pot' so to speak, it makes life more difficult than it needs to be.

[smoore]

Player A - $500
Player B - $200
Player C - $100
Player D - $1000

C pushes, A pushes, B calls, D calls.

Main pot: $400, $100 from each player. All four eligible.
Side pot 1: $300, $100 from each player. Only ABD eligible.
Side pot 2: $600, $300 from A and D. Only AD eligible.

If someone calls a bet all-in and can't cover it it can get weird. Say we're playing .25/.50 NLHE. I bet out $5 at some point and you call. Someone else with only $3.25 calls too. $3.25*3=$9.75 into the main, the balance goes into our side pot. If you do the math in your head like that you don't have to go along making everyone's bets match the all-in person and you can just yank the money from wherever.

If you're drunk just match the bets up /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Kellon]

Thanks, guys. If I can't get it from your replies, I'm quitting. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif Seriously, though, you've both explained it in a way that finally seems totally clear. I'm going to throw out some chips this weekend and run through a couple of senarios to make sure I've got it, but it should be a piece of cake from here on out. Much appreciated!

[Fins]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, guys. If I can't get it from your replies, I'm quitting. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif Seriously, though, you've both explained it in a way that finally seems totally clear. I'm going to throw out some chips this weekend and run through a couple of senarios to make sure I've got it, but it should be a piece of cake from here on out. Much appreciated!

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the best way to do it! Also arranging the pots in some way to reflect the all in person helps. Just remember to award the pots in the reverse order that they were created.

- Fins