[Strange]

I am looking for a detailed description on how to handle side pots, including amounts and, importantly for me, where on the table to place the side pots.

So....example. 5 handed table with stack sizes of

P1 : 1000
P2 : 500
P3 : 750
P4 : 1250
P5 : 1500

P5 is on the Button. P1's SB is 50, P2's BB is 100.

Action preflop results in everyone going all in. (it's that kind of table)

Obviously P5 retains 250 since he has everyone covered, but apart from that, where does the dealer place all the little piles of chips, and how much in each?

my logic says that everyone is in for at least 500, so there should be 2500 in the middle of the table for everyone to win.

Also, P4 and P5 have 250 each for a total of 500 that only they can win, but where do you put that?

etc....

[2_hotty]

Main pot of $2500 which is all P2 can win.
First side pot of $1000. P3 can win main, and this side pot.
Second side pot of $750. P1 can win main, first side, and this pot only.
One last $500 side pot that P4 can win on top of the rest.
P5 keeps $250, and can win them all.

[jetra2]

Actually, I believe there would be several side pots. There would be a main pot of 2500 for everyone to contest. Then there would be side pot 1, which everyone except P2 could contest, with 1000 in it. Side pot 2 would be contested by P1, P4, and P5, and would have 750 in is. Side pot three would be between P4 and P5 and have 500 in it. When it comes to showdown, have the players turn their cards over by the pot that they are contesting, i.e. P4-5 first, declare winner, then P1 and declare a winner, then P3 and declare a winner, then P2 can turn over his cards and the best hand wins the main pot. Try to remember who is contesting for which pot by placing it in front of them. For example - leave the main pot in the middle, Side Pot 1, place in front of P3, Side Pot 2, place in front of P1, and Side Pot 3 place in front of P4.

Hope this helps,
Jason

Dangit! 2_hotty beat me to it!

[Strange]

Thanks 2H.

And where do you put all of those stacks to keep tracks of which is which?

Anywhere you feel like? In front of the eligible players?

I guess I'm looking for a standard here.

Edit : thanks Jetra. the placement things makes sense.

[Dimes]

The correct term is sidepots, not split pots. Split pot is when players' hands are tied and they have to share the pot. (Or the way pots are split in hi/lo games).

Main pot: 2500, 500 from each
Sidepot I: 1000, 250 from each of P1, P3, P4, P5
Sidepot II: 750, 250 from each of P1, P4, P5
Sidepot III: 500, 250 from each of P4 and P5

P5 retains what would have been sidepot IV as he is the only one to have money in it.

With so many sidepots it's diffucult to place them in a meaningful way. You can place sidepot III near P4 and P5, sidepot II near P1, sidepot I near P3, and the main pot centrally or near P2.

TT

[Strange]

Originally Posted by Dimes

The correct term is sidepots, not split pots.

Damn, thanks Dimes......yes, I obviously meant side pots not split pots. Now fixed.

[tomb1]

This hypothetical situation is the worst case, so it's the most complicated.

In a normal situation, you'd have one main pot -- say with one player all-in and two callers, the main pot would have 3x the all-in guy's stack. I usually place this main pot near the all-in guy, or at least on his side of the table, and say something like, "OK, this is all you can win if you have the best hand at the end."

Then if there are more chips from any betting between the other callers, I set up the side pot and move it away from the main pot. I usually say something like, "OK, you two guys are playing for this side pot, in addition to the main pot."

[Diamond_Don]

A.I would put the main pot of 2500 close to P.2
B.pot of 1000 close to P.3
C.pot of 750 close to player P.1
D.pot of 500 close to player P 4


The last side pot between player # 4 and # 5 is the first to decide. (500)give the winner the chips and take the losers cards. (If they can't win that pot they sure can"t win anyother pot)

The next pot to go to is 750 between Player 1 and winner of pot D. Winner gets the chips and take the losers cards. (no longer needed)

The next pot to go to is 1000 between Player 3 and the winner of the last pot. Winner gets the chips and take the losers cards.

The next pot is the main pot of 2500. the only 2 left would be Player 2 and the winner of the last pot.

[OutOfCrown]

In addition to placing the pots in some way that makes sense so you can remember which is which, the other thing that helps is controlling the order of the showdown. Even if it's a tourney (vs a cash game) and everyone's cards are already face up, it's still important to control the order in which the hands are examined and paid off.

Start with the two biggest stacks (the ones competing for the last sidepot, if you want to think of it that way). Figure out the winning hand, award that sidepot, muck the losing hand.

Then move to the next sidepot "down" the list, and compare the corresponding next hand against the current winner. Each time award that sidepot, muck the second-best hand, and then move one pot down the chain.

Keep doing that until you get all the way down to the main pot.

This works much better than having everyone start grabbing pots at once while saying "I win this, he wins that, and, oh, wait a second, we're confused now".

[Strange]

Originally Posted by tomb1

This hypothetical situation is the worst case, so it's the most complicated.

You are right, and I obviously chose a complicated case to illustrate.

However......the reason it came up was that every now and again I play in a $5 rebuy tourney at the local casino in Southampton. Unlimited rebuys up to the break, which is only 60 minutes in. if one person on the table has been super good (lucky) it's not uncommon for everyone else at the table to go all in on pretty much every hand in the last 5-10 minutes, desperately trying to build a useful stack. We must have had 10 pots that included 4 plus people, and every time, one guy insisted on doing the side pots, even though he got it wrong EVERY TIME!!!.

"OK, so you and him are in for 350 of the 500 so there's 150 in front of you along with the 100 from the other side pot that goes in front of you other three except for 125 that sits here under the other side of the 200 that you two put in from your stack beacause he's not all in yet. Oh yes he is, isn't he, so that's actually 300 of the 500 that needs to go with that 150 from your stack other than the last 50 that needs to go there. What's this 150 for now? Oh yes it goes on top of this 200 doesn't it. No that's not right, let's start again."

Just like the guy in the Fast Show pub sketch (if that means anything to you).