Pot Limit Betting Explained

The most common forms of betting in poker you'll encounter are no limit and fixed limit, but the more advanced you are, the more likely you'll encounter a betting structure known as pot limit -- especially if you start playing a game known as Omaha.

At first, pot limit betting seems simple enough: The largest amount you can bet or raise is the amount that’s in the pot. But determining what's in the pot can get complicated.

If a player is first to act, that's simple: the amount the player can bet is exactly what's in the pot.For example, if there is $10 in the pot -- the first player to bet can bet up to $10, no more.

Let's say that Player One does indeed bet $10. The pot is now $20. So Player Two can bet up to $20, right? Wrong. Player Two can bet more.

Player Two can actually bet up to $30, and here's why: To see or call Player One's bet, Player Two would have to put $10 in the pot, bringing the pot to $30. In pot limit betting, you include the amount a player would have to call just to stay in the hand when you determine the "Pot's limit" -- so because Player Two has to put in $10 now, the pot is now considered to be $30, so that is the maximum amount he can raise.

Let's say Player Two just calls Player One's bet, so the pot is now $30.
Question: What can Player Three bet?
Answer: $40.

Here's how the math works. The pot is $30, and Player Three must call Player One's $10 bet to stay in the hand, bringing the pot to $40. That is the pot.

That's the essence of pot limit betting -- and you can see how it can get expensive fast!