How to calculate the side pots when the BB is all in for less than the SB who folds?

Question

the case:

we are at 4k/8k and we are in the preflop. player 1: is the SB put 4K player 2: is BB and goes all in for 2k player 3: goes all in for 2500 player 4: is in and put 8k player 1 : who is the SB did not want to add more 4K so he fold So the dealer told the player 4 to took back 5,5k to match the biggest all in of $2500 of player 3. Everything is fine so far.. My question is that: how should we distribute correctly the 4K of the SB who fold in the 2 sides pots

Thanks

Answer 1

In this scenario there are really three pots:

1. the main pot, which everyone can win (unless they fold);
2. side pot A, with Players 1, 3 and 4 (i.e. everyone except the BB);
3. side pot B, between Player 1 (the SB) and Player 4 only.

Since Player 2 (the BB) has the shortest stack, the main pot, which is determined by the BB's all-in of 2K, will include the same amount from every other player that was in the pot (including Player 1, the SB). So this pot is 8K total.

Side pot A is determined by the stack of the player with the fewest chips (amongst those remaining). Here, this is Player 3, who has 0.5K left (having already put 2K into the main pot). So Player 1 and Player 4 each put 0.5K into side pot A, which is therefore 1.5K.

That leaves Player 1 (the SB) and Player 4 with side pot B, which is determined by what's left of Player 1's bet (or in this case his SB) of 4K. He has put 2K into the main pot and 0.5K into side pot A, so his remaining 1.5K goes into side pot B.

Since Player 1 then folds, side pot B immediately goes to Player 4.

The key is probably the emboldened excerpt above, but (in my opinion) it's worth understanding exactly what's happening at each point in the process.

In summary:

• Player 4 takes 1.5K of the SB's bet when the SB folds.
• Side pot A (which excludes the BB) is worth 1.5K total.
• The remaining 8K is available to all players except the SB, who has folded.

So, of the original 4K from the SB: 1.5K goes to Player 4; 2K goes into the main pot (which the BB can win); and the other 0.5K goes into the remaining side pot (which only Player 3 or Player 4 can win).