Family Pot

1. Poker term for a hand in which many members of the table are involved.

The Problem with Family Pots

Family pots can be fun and exciting, especially in a friendly game, but they are something you want to avoid if you have a big starting hand. Because so many people are in the hand, it is extremely unlikely for someone to win at showdown without improving. There are just too many possibilities for someone to hit something. To illustrate this point, pocket Aces, the best starting hand in hold'em, has only 34.6% equity against eight other random hands. Cut the opponents in half, and Aces has 55.9% equity. Heads-up against a random hand, pocket Aces has 85.2% equity.

It's Not All Bad, Though

Family pots can be great if you have a drawing hand, something like suited connectors or one-gappers. These types of hands are not as easily detectable by your opponents as top tier starting hands, so when you do hit your hand, it is more likely that you will win a big pot. If you miss, it is much easier to get away from a marginal hand than it is from a big pocket pair.

Places You'll See Family Pots

* Micro stakes games
* Play money games
* Friendly home games
* The Excalibur in Las Vegas

Related Terms

Pot, Limp