BEHIND THE HAND
A little knowledge. A better decision.
Virtual no-limit betting
A useful starting point is the following overview. This table uses no-limit betting with virtual chips. On a legal raise opportunity, the maximum wager is your entire remaining stack plus chips already committed on that street. No chips can be purchased, transferred or withdrawn through this built-in practice game. Keeping the full context in mind helps avoid misunderstandings.
Opening a betting round
Here is the context for this part of the site. The big blind establishes the ordinary minimum opening bet. Before the flop, posted blinds already count as wagers. On later streets, checking is available until a bet is made; a player whose entire stack is below a full opening bet can still commit it all-in. Keeping the full context in mind helps avoid misunderstandings.
A raise total versus an increment
Consider these points when using this feature. If the current wager is 100 and you choose a raise total of 250, your action raises the wager by 150. The input refers to a total for the current street. A player who already committed 100 adds only 150 more to reach that total. The same principles apply each time you use this part of the site.
The last full raise controls the minimum
Here is the context for this part of the site. A legal full raise must increase the wager by at least the last full bet or raise increment. If a player bets 100 and another raises to 250, the increment is 150. A subsequent full raise must therefore reach at least 400, subject to an all-in exception. The surrounding sections explain the related topics in more detail.
Short all-ins
This overview brings the relevant details together. A player may commit their remaining chips even when that amount cannot reach a full minimum raise. That action raises the price others must match but does not automatically restore a raise option to someone who already acted. Players yet to act can still have a full raise available. A careful reading can help you distinguish the different situations.
Cumulative action can reopen betting — details
Consider these points when using this feature. Several short all-ins can add up to a full raise relative to a particular player's earlier action. Reopening is assessed for that player using the total increase they now face. A player who called more recently can therefore have different legal options from another player in the same round. You can return to this explanation whenever you need a reminder.
When a betting round ends
This overview brings the relevant details together. A street ends when every remaining player with chips has acted and matched the required wager. All-in players owe no further action. If one funded player remains against all-in opponents, that player only needs to resolve any outstanding call before the board runs out. The surrounding sections explain the related topics in more detail.
Uncalled chips return — details
This overview brings the relevant details together. When no opponent matches the highest portion of a wager, that excess is returned to the player who committed it. It is not a side pot that the player wins from themselves. The completed-hand chip change therefore measures the actual amount gained or lost against other players. The same principles apply each time you use this part of the site.
Main pots and side pots
Keep these details in view as you continue. Contribution levels define the main pot and any side pots. A folded player's chips remain in the appropriate pot, but that player is ineligible to win it. Each pot is compared separately among eligible live hands, so different players can win different pots in the same hand. The surrounding sections explain the related topics in more detail.
Ties and extra chips — details
Here is the context for this part of the site. A tied pot is divided as evenly as whole chips allow among its winners. Remaining indivisible chips are awarded clockwise from the dealer button. The process is repeated for each pot, keeping the total number of chips conserved throughout the hand. The surrounding sections explain the related topics in more detail.