Is There An App That Manages Pot Eligibility In Poker Games?

The Game Room
1

I’m coming up bubkus in the App Store for what I’m looking for. I want an app that helps me manage who is eligible for what share of the pot in a Texas Hold 'em game. Like in case Matthew has gone all-in after the flop, but Mark and Luke and John keep raising each other on subsequent turns, etc.

I can’t do that kind of math in my head, especially when multiple parties are involved.

I’ve searched for “pot manager” (you can guess what I got for that) and various other search terms, and I haven’t found what I’m looking for.

Is there an app for that?

*Failing that, could someone teach me the basics of how to keep track of it with pencil & paper?

2

Been a long time since I played, but don’t they usually just have a physically separate pot?

So Mark goes in for $100 (Main pot), Luke Calls for $100(Main Pot), John raises to $125(100 to the main pot, 25 to the side pot), and so on. Once every player has put the minimum amount for the main pot, any additional money goes to the side pot.

3

Was going to say the same thing. How can an app know how much anyone bet without telling the app that?

Pencil and paper: Matthew is entitled to the main pot. The other three (so far) main + side pot.

4

Yes. “Side pot” can have a literal meaning: a pile of money (or chips) separate from the main one.

5

More precisely, if Matthew has the best hand, he wins the main pot and the next best hand of the remaining players wins the side pot.

If one of the other three remaining players has the best hand, that person gets the main and side pots. With four players, two side pots are possible.

6

You don’t have to do any math. Physically create separate pots on the table. Sometimes there will even be more than two pots. There could be three or more during a single hand if several people went all-in at different betting rounds. Just make separate pots.

After the river, and once everyone shows their hands, treat each pot like it is from a separate, unique hand. Determine the winner of each pot individually (in reverse order), starting with the least number of active players competing for that pot. That’s the easiest way. No math, paper or pencils necessary.

7

Also, when you’re making the pots, start with the person who has the least number of chips and build the pots from there. So, suppose that there are fiver players, and 50 chips in the pot pre-flop. Then, after the flop, everyone goes All In.
Player (1) has the least number of chips with only 10. So, take his chips, plus 10 chips each from players (2), (3), (4), & (5). Those 50 chips are added to the main pot, and that is the most money that player (1) can win. The main pot is now 100 Chips.

Now, make the second pot. The next poorest player is (3) with 20 chips remaining. Take his 20 chips and 20 more from the remaining four players, and make a side pot. That 80 is now in the side pot. Player (3) will only be competing for this pot and the main pot.

Player (4) has only 5 chips left after paying into the first two pots, so take those 5 chips and combine them with 5 chips each from players (2) and (5). Those 15 chips are the next side pot.

Finally, after making all those pots, there is player (5) and Player (2). Player (5) is still sitting in front of 100 chips, while player (2) has three chips. Take those three chips and three from player (5), making the final pot of six chips.

Turn and River, then everyone shows their hands. Assess the victor of each pot in reverse order, comparing the hands of only those players competing for it.
In reverse order, the pots and competitors are:

6 Chips: Players (5) and (2)
15 Chips: Players (5), (4), (2),
80 Chips: Players (5), (4), (3), (2)
100 Chips: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)

Now, in reverse order, just compare the hands of the players who paid into those pots. Ignore Player (1)'s straight flush, we’re only looking at Player (5) and (2) right now. (5) has a higher hand than (2), so (5) gets those 6 Chips.

Next pot: 15 Chips. (4) has a higher hand than (5) and (2), so (4) wins the 15 chips in that pot.

Next pot: 80 Chips. As stated, (4) obviously has a higher hand than (5) and (2), we already know that. So they’re beat. Player (4) also has a higher hand than (3), so player (4) wins this pot as well.

Main pot: 100 Chips. Everyone is competing for this pot. (1) has a straight flush and beat everyone. So (1) wins this pot.

At the end of the distribution:
Player (1) wins 100 chips
Player (4) wins 95 chips
Player (5) wins 6 chips

I hope you followed along with that. It sounds more complicated than it is. When you take it slow like this. You don’t have to make any calculations. Take the chips that the player has, and then take chips from each of the remaining players. Hell, you don’t even have to count them. Just make equal stacks and match-up the colors… potentially no math at all.

8

Moderator Action

While the question here is factual, this is better suited to the Game Room.

Moving thread from GQ to the Game Room.