how to side pots work when running 2x in poker

Daniel Parker

3 min read

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17-01-2025

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Running it twice (or more) is a common practice in poker, especially in high-stakes games. It mitigates the variance inherent in a single card reveal. But how do side pots function when multiple players have different stack sizes and the hand is run twice (or more)? Understanding this is crucial for playing optimally. This article will explain side pots in detail when running it twice, clarifying a sometimes confusing aspect of poker.

Understanding the Basics: Running it Twice

Running it twice means dealing the remaining community cards twice. Each board is treated as a separate hand, determining a winner for each. This reduces the impact of luck. Players' winnings are split evenly across the results of each run.

How Side Pots Form

Side pots occur when players have unequal stack sizes. Let's illustrate with an example:

• Player A: 100 chips
• Player B: 50 chips
• Player C: 20 chips

All three players are all-in pre-flop. The pot starts forming.

Round 1: The first board is dealt. Player A wins the main pot. Player B wins a side pot made up of Player B's contribution. Player C also wins their own side pot, consisting only of their contribution.

Why? Because Player C only contributed 20 chips to the main pot. Player B could only contribute up to 20 as well (since that’s C's max contribution). Player A contributes the rest to the main pot.

Round 2: The second board is dealt. The same principle applies. The side pots belong to the players who contributed to them, and these side pots aren't affected by the outcome of the other pots.

How it's Calculated:

The pot is always split. Each part of the pot is awarded based on who wins that particular portion. Let's say Player A wins both the main and side pots on the first run. That is then compared to the second run to see what is the final outcome of the hand.

Example:

Let’s say we have three players going all-in pre-flop:

• Player A: 100 chips

• Player B: 75 chips

• Player C: 50 chips

• Main Pot: 50 chips (everyone's minimum contribution)

• Side Pot 1: 25 chips (B's extra contribution)

• Side Pot 2: 50 chips (A's extra contribution above B's)

The main pot is won once per run. Side Pot 1 is won once per run. Side Pot 2 is won once per run. The winner is whoever wins the total amount across the two runs. The total amount in our example would be 125 chips (50+25+50).

Running it More Than Twice

Some high-stakes games run it three times or even more. The principle remains the same. Multiple side pots are created based on stack sizes, and each board is evaluated separately. The results of each run are added together to determine the final payout for each player.

Implications for Strategy

Understanding side pots when running it twice influences your betting strategy, particularly when short-stacked. Knowing that side pots exist incentivizes bluffing less frequently. You could win a side pot but lose the main pot. When you’re deciding your strategy, consider which stacks you’re competing against.

Conclusion

Side pots in running it twice poker situations are a critical concept to understand for every poker player, regardless of skill level or game stakes. Mastering how these pots form allows for better decision-making and a more accurate evaluation of pot odds and equity. By fully grasping this aspect of the game, you’ll improve your overall poker game. Remember, the goal is always to maximize your expected value (EV). Running it twice is a tool to help achieve that by reducing variance, and correctly calculating side pots is vital for ensuring you receive the proper amount of your winnings.