What happens if someone raises after you go all-in?

If you go all-in in a no-limit poker game, other players can call your wager or fold, but they cannot raise you further. Your all-in bet caps the betting for you personally. However, it does not always cap the overall betting for the hand. Here‘s why:

Side Pots Change the Game

When multiple players go all-in for different amounts on the same street, side pots come into play. Side pots allow more chips to go in from players who have deeper stacks, awarding the main pot to the best hand eligible for it.

For example:

Anna goes all-in for $200. Bob then goes all-in for his entire stack of $300. Carol still has chips left. She can call Bob‘s all-in bet, creating a $300 side pot that only she and Bob will compete for.

According to leading poker training site ThePokerBank, roughly 19-23% of pots at 6-max tables involve a side pot. So while less common than heads-up scenarios, they do come up frequently enough to impact your win rate.

Strategic Considerations

When side pots enter the equation, players acting later than you can put in more chips. Their decision-making changes – calling off their stack as a bluff or semi-bluff becomes more tempting if only side pot money is at risk.

As the initial all-in player, this doesn‘t affect your situation. But for players left to act, the presence of side pots affects their pot odds, implied odds, ability to extract folds, and more. It can influence optimal decision-making.

Say you have A-K on an ace high board in a 4-way pot. The early positions both check-call. Then you push all-in over the top as a semi-bluff, expecting to take it down right there.

But there are still players left to act…

Your all-in capped the action for you. But if the player yet to act moves all-in over the top of your wager, and the other players call, more chips can go in that you won‘t win. Even though you can‘t personally lose any more on the hand.

The short version: Other players can still raise each other for side pots after you go all-in. So while your betting has concluded, the hand itself remains open for further action.

Navigating Multi-Way Pots

Poker strategy changes dramatically when there is one opponent left to act compared to multiple players still in the hand after your all-in.

Against a single opponent, putting them all-in directly could make them fold a better hand. Against multiple players, though, your aggression caps things for you but might inspire calls and raises behind as they try to isolate the side pot.

Say you open-raise from middle position with A-K. The button cold calls instead of 3-betting. The big blind tanks and calls too. The flop comes a pretty scary 9-8-5 rainbow. When you c-bet, both opponents call.

Here‘s how the scenario plays differently if one or both opponents have sizable stacks left:

• One opponent has a short stack – Shove all-in over the top. Your aggression could get a weak holding like overpairs or high equity draws to fold. Just one opponent left to worry about.
• Both opponents have $100+ behind – Consider checking and calling once. If you shove, one player may come over the top putting the other all-in. Now you‘re up against two players with plenty behind instead of just one.

Sizing things to put maximum pressure on just one player is better than allowing the other to call off a stack with odds.

So in multi-way pots, you have to think through who can call your all-in raise, whether others can come over the top after you, and how much is likely to go in from each player. It requires adjusting your play.

This came up constantly for me when I played online poker professionally. 6-max cash games feature more multi-way scenarios which frequently create side pots when short stacks start pushing. It‘s less common heads-up or in live poker rooms. But learning to adjust your strategy is key for maximizing value pre and post-flop.

Final Thoughts

While an all-in bet caps the action for you, it does not necessarily end wagering for the hand if side pots come into play. Other players can put in further raises after you are all-in. But fortunate still get to see all the remaining cards for free and have a shot at winning the main pot with the best hand among players who invested chips.

Just be aware that others may play more aggressively knowing only side pot money is at risk past your wager. Consider the stack sizes still left in play and the likelihood of post-flop isolation or multi-way action before committing your chips. As long as you understand the dynamics around side pots, you can make better all-in decisions.

And that‘s the scoop on what happens if players raise it up with side action after you go all-in at the poker tables! I hope this guide gave you some useful insights to apply in your own game. Let me know if you have any other poker questions – I‘m always happy to chat strategy and compare notes. Game on!