Hello,

Just this night, I played no-limit texas holdem with four friends. Player 2 went all in with only 1 remaining chip and so as a result everyone called. Then on the spur of moment, player 3 and player 5 longed for a side bet, but player 1 and player 4 have disagreed, they don’t want a side bet.

Now I’m wondering, do players 1 and 4 have to side bet to stay in the hand? Are they still qualified for the original pot?

Well, in a way, I believe that they are not qualified anymore for the side pot, but I’m not so sure whether or not they could still stay in for the original pot. Any idea about this?
Thank you.

Clint

Clint,

In the situation above, if the players all called the preflop raise then all players must see the flop. On the flop, betting may continue among the other players. If player one bet out, then it is up to the other players to call, raise, or fold. If a player folds to a bet in a side pot, they are no longer qualified for the main pot. The same is true if player one raised preflop after player two went all-in. The other players must call, raise, or fold.