The decision library
REFERENCE / PRACTICEVirtual no-limit betting
This overview brings the relevant details together. 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 No chips can be purchased, transferred or withdrawn through this built-in practice game. A careful reading can help you distinguish the different situations.
Opening a betting round
The key details are straightforward. 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. You can return to this explanation whenever you need a reminder.
A raise total versus an increment
This overview brings the relevant details together. 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. Keeping the full context in mind helps avoid misunderstandings.
The last full raise controls the minimum — details
A useful starting point is the following overview. 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. You can return to this explanation whenever you need a reminder.
Short all-ins
This section explains what to expect. 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. These details provide context for the choices described here.
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. The same principles apply each time you use this part of the site.
When a betting round ends
The explanation below covers the main points. 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. Keeping the full context in mind helps avoid misunderstandings.
Uncalled chips return — details
The key details are straightforward. 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. A careful reading can help you distinguish the different situations.
Main pots and side pots
Here is the context for this part of the site. 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. Keeping the full context in mind helps avoid misunderstandings.
Ties and extra chips
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. Read this alongside the related information on this site.