Read the amount a player actually adds, understand why a short stack can still win, and keep the pot separate from the size of a wager.
For viewers of standard 52-card no-limit Texas hold'em. All hands, stacks, payouts, and graphics on this page are fictional teaching examples, not footage or results from Nolan's vlog.
Five ordinary actions
Check adds nothing when no wager needs matching. Bet opens the wagering on a street. Call matches what is outstanding, limited by the caller's available chips. Raise increases the wager. Fold gives up the hand and its claim to the pot; earlier contributions stay in.
Checking and folding are different. A check may lead to another turn to act if someone bets later. A check-raise means checking, facing a bet, and raising when action comes back.
“To” is a total; “by” is an increment
Under the standard no-limit full-raise rule, the minimum new increment matches the last full bet or raise. With blinds 100/200, an open to 500 increases the live wager by 300, so the next minimum full raise is to 800. That is a three-bet, not a requirement to multiply 500 by three.
A short all-in is a special case. If A bets 1,000, B calls, and C can move all-in only to 1,500, the extra 500 is less than a full raise. In this simple sequence it does not reopen raising to A or B, who already acted. Multiple short all-ins can change that result. TDA rules 45 and 49 give the full procedure; the tournament staff resolve live ambiguities.
More chips do not automatically win the hand
Table stakes limit play to the chips available for that hand. A player who cannot cover the full wager may call all-in for less and remain eligible for the matched portion. The excess contested by other players belongs in a side pot. An amount nobody can match is returned, not won.
| Player | Chips put forward | Eligible pots |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1,000, all-in | Main pot only |
| B | 2,500, all-in | Main and side pot |
| C | 4,000 offered | Main and side pot; 1,500 returned |
The main pot is 3,000 = 1,000 × 3. The side pot between B and C is 3,000 = (2,500 − 1,000) × 2. C receives the unmatched 1,500 back. Total accounting: 3,000 + 3,000 + 1,500 = 7,500, equal to the amounts put forward.
A could hold the strongest hand and win the main pot while B, with the next strongest hand, wins the side pot. C's refund is separate from either award. A cannot win the side pot regardless of hand strength.
Try the numbers
A has already bet 600 and faces a raise to 2,000. How much more is a call?
1,400. The 600 is already part of A's wager on that street. Do not count it a second time.
If the shortest player wins, do they take all 7,500 in the side-pot example?
No. A can win the 3,000 main pot. The 3,000 side pot is decided between B and C; the unmatched 1,500 is returned to C.
Can a player check when facing an outstanding bet?
Not as a normal way of staying in the hand. The ordinary choices are call, raise when permitted, or fold. A check is available only when nothing needs to be called.
A “pot” number on a graphic may include the latest bet or show the pot before it. Follow the caption and action sequence rather than inferring the convention from the size alone.
References and limits
PokerStars: table stakes and all-in rules; Poker TDA: 2026 rules, raise amounts and reopening.
References checked October 5, 2026. Explanations and examples are written for this site. Event structures and house rulings can differ; this is not a tournament rulebook or a guarantee of profitable play. External references may contain commercial offers; no account or purchase is needed to read this guide.
Published . Prepared with AI assistance. Use learning materials away from live play; follow the event's device and assistance rules.