Editing Betting in poker (section)

==="All-in" ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Pai gow poker]] -->
A player faced with a current bet who wishes to call but has insufficient remaining stake (folding does not require special rules) may bet the remainder of their stake and declare themselves '''all-in'''.  They may now hold onto their cards for the remainder of the deal as if they had called every bet, but may not win any more money from any player above the amount of their bet. In no-limit games, a player may also go all in, that is, betting their entire stack at any point during a betting round.

====Side pots====
A player who goes "all-in" effectively caps the main pot; the player is not entitled to win any amount from each player over their total stake. If only one other player is still in the hand, the other player simply matches the all-in (retracting any overage if necessary) and the hand is dealt to completion. However, if multiple players remain in the game and the bet rises beyond the all-in's stake, the overage goes into a '''side pot'''. Only the players who have contributed to the side pot have the chance to win it. In the case of multiple all-in bets, multiple side pots can be created.  Players who choose to fold rather than match bets ''in the side pot'' are considered to fold with respect to the main pot as well.

For example, with three players in a game, Player A, with a large stack, opens the betting round for $20. Player B only has $10. They call the $10, going all-in. Player C has $30, and thus can either call the full $20, re-raise to $30, or fold. Player C decides to "raise all-in", betting their remaining stake. The bet is now $10 to Player A, who calls. Player A is the only player at the table with a remaining stake; they may not make any further bets this hand. Because Player B can only win $10 from each of the other two players' $30 bets, that $10 is taken from all players' bets and the $30 total is placed in the main pot. The $40 remaining, for which Players A and C are separately contesting, goes in a side pot. As no further bets can be made, the hand is now dealt to completion. It is found that Player B has the best hand overall, and wins the main pot. Player A has the second-best hand, and wins the side pot. Player C loses the hand, and must "re-buy" if they wish to be dealt in on subsequent hands.

There is a strategic advantage to being all-in: such a player cannot be [[Bluff (poker)|bluff]]ed, because they are entitled to hold their cards and see the showdown without risking any more money.  Opponents who continue to bet after a player is all-in can still bluff each other out of the side pot, which is also to the all-in player's advantage since players who fold out of the side pot also reduce competition for the main pot.  But these advantages are offset by the disadvantage that a player cannot win any more money than their stake can cover when they have the best hand, nor can an all-in player bluff other players on subsequent betting rounds when they do not have the best hand.

Some players may choose to buy into games with a "short stack", a stack of chips that is relatively small for the stakes being played, with the intention of going all-in after the flop and not having to make any further decisions. However, this is generally a non-optimal strategy in the long term, since the player does not maximize their gains on their winning hands.

====All-in before the deal====
If a player does not have sufficient money to cover the ante and blinds due, that player is automatically all-in for the coming hand.  Any money the player holds must be applied to the ante first, and if the full ante is covered, the remaining money is applied towards the blind.

Some cardrooms require players in the big blind position to have at least enough chips to cover the small blind (and ante if applicable) in order to be dealt in. In cash games with such a rule, any player in the big blind with insufficient chips to cover the small blind will not be dealt in unless they re-buy. In tournaments with such a rule, any player in the big blind with insufficient chips to cover the small blind will be eliminated with their remaining chips being removed from play.<ref>[http://www.slga.gov.sk.ca/prebuilt/public/Texas%20HoldEm%20Poker%20Tournament%20Terms%20and%20Conditions.pdf Example – Rule A.2(cc)(iii), Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Texas Hold 'Em Poker Terms and Conditions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505212502/http://www.slga.gov.sk.ca/prebuilt/public/Texas%20HoldEm%20Poker%20Tournament%20Terms%20and%20Conditions.pdf |date=2015-05-05 }}</ref>

If a player is all in for part of the ante, or the exact amount of the ante, an equal amount of every other player's ante is placed in the main pot, with any remaining fraction of the ante and all blinds and further bets in the side pot.

If a player is all in for part of a blind, all antes go into the main pot.  Players to act must call the complete amount of the big blind to call, even if the all-in player has posted less than a full big blind.  At the end of the betting round, the bets and calls will be divided into the main pot and side pot as usual.

For example, Alice is playing at a table with 10 players in a tournament with an ante of $1 and blinds of $4/$8.  Alice is due the big blind but she only has $8.  She must pay the $1 ante and apply the remaining $7 towards the big blind, and she is all in.  Dianne, next to act, calls $8, the full big blind amount.  Carol raises to $16 total.  All remaining players fold, the small blind folds, and Dianne folds.  The amount in the main pot is $10 (the sum of all antes) plus the full $4 small blind since Alice had this amount covered, plus $7 from Alice and every other player who called at least that amount, namely Dianne and Carol.  The main pot is therefore $10 + $4 + 3 × $7 = $35.  The side pot of $10 ($1 in excess of Alice's all-in bet from Dianne, and $9 in excess of Alice's all-in bet from Carol) is paid immediately to Carol when Dianne folds.

====Incomplete bet or raise====
If a player goes all-in with a bet or raise rather than a call, another special rule comes into play.  There are two options in common use: pot-limit and no-limit games usually use what is called the '''full bet rule''', while fixed-limit and spread-limit games may use either the full bet rule or the '''half bet rule'''.  The full bet rule states that if the amount of an all-in bet is less than the minimum bet, or if the amount of an all-in raise is less than the full amount of the previous raise, it does not constitute a "real" raise, and therefore does ''not'' reopen the betting action.  The half bet rule states that if an all-in bet or raise is equal to or larger than half the minimum amount, it ''does'' constitute a raise and reopens the action.

For example, with the full bet rule in effect, a player opens the betting round for $20, and the next player has a total stake of $30.  They may raise to $30, declaring themselves all-in, but this does not constitute a "real" raise, in the following sense: if a third player now calls the $30, and the first player's turn to act comes up, they may now call the additional $10, but they do not have the right to re-raise further.  The all-in player's pseudo-raise was really just a call with some extra money, and the third player's call was just a call, so the initial opener's bet was simply called by both remaining players, closing the betting round (even though they must still equalize the money by putting in the additional $10).  If the half bet rule were being used, then that raise would count as a genuine raise and the first player would be entitled to re-raise if they chose to (creating a side pot for the amount of their re-raise and the third player's call, if any).

In a game with a half bet rule, a player may '''complete''' an incomplete raise, if that player still has the right to raise (in other words, if that player has not yet acted in the betting round, or has not yet acted since the last full bet or raise).  The act of completing a bet or raise reopens the betting to other remaining opponents.

For example, four players are in a hand, playing with a limit betting structure and a half bet rule.  The current betting round is $20.  Alice checks, and Dianne checks.  Carol goes all-in for $5.  Joane, still to act, has the following options: fold, call $5, or complete the bet to a total of $20.  If Joane calls the $5, Alice and Dianne only have the option of calling or folding; neither can raise.  But if Joane completes, either of them could raise.

====Opening all-in hands====
When all players in the pot are all-in, or one player is playing alone against opponents who are all all-in, no more betting can take place. Some casinos and many major tournaments require that all players still involved '''open''', or immediately reveal, their hole cards in this case—the dealer will not continue dealing until all hands are flipped up. Likewise, any other cards that would normally be dealt face down, such as the final card in [[seven-card stud]], may be dealt face-up. Such action is automatic in [[online poker]]. This rule discourages a form of tournament collusion called "chip dumping", in which one player deliberately loses their chips to another to give that player a greater chance of winning.