Table Games : The "All-In" Rule

When watching a Poker tournament on the Travel channel player A, after seeing his first two cards, bets $10,000, after which player B, who had remained in the game but having fewer chips than player A, pushed all his chips to the center and said "all-in." The question is, how can player B, having far fewer chips and unable to sustain the future raises of player A, still be able to challenge Player A

The answer to this question lies in the "All-in" statement. Usually, poker in most casinos is played as "table stakes," this can be translated in the fact that only the chips in play at the start of each of the hands can be used throughout that hand.

Among the table stakes rule there is also a handmaiden rule, named the "All-In", where a player cannot be enforced to give up a hand only because he/she does not have the necessary chips to call the bet. A player that does not have the required chips to call a bet is declared All-In.

Such players if they are declared winners, will only qualify for a portion of the pot as equal to what it stood at the time of his final wager, not the whole pot. If there are some player actions after the All –In call, this will normally take place in a "side pot," which is inaccessible to the All-In player.