Center Pot
The center pot is the main pot, the one every player still in the hand is contesting, as opposed to any side pots.
The simple explanation
All the chips that players put in during a hand are collected in the middle of the table. The main pile is the center pot, also called the main pot. Every player who is still in the hand and has matched the bets is playing for it. If a player goes all in for less than the others are betting, the extra chips go into a separate side pot, and that player cannot win them. If you are ever unsure which pot you are playing for, ask the dealer. Online software shows the main pot and the side pots separately.
A closer look
The center pot is the first pot created in a hand. When a player is all in, their share of the winnings is capped at the center pot, because that is the amount their chips could match. Bets above that amount form side pots that only the players who contributed to them can win. At showdown the center pot is awarded first, and then each side pot in turn. When you are the short stack, you can only win the center pot, which changes how you should think about calling. In a split-pot or hi-lo game, the center pot is still the first pot to be divided, and the dealer awards each pot in order. Understanding pot structure is also essential for working out your real pot odds when someone is all in.
A practical example
Four players are in a hand. Three of them have 100 chips and one has 40. Everyone puts in the first 40 chips, so the center pot is 160. The other three keep betting, and their extra chips go into a side pot that the 40-chip player cannot win.
Full explanation
The center pot is the main pot, the one every player still in the hand is contesting, as opposed to any side pots.
The center pot is the main pot in a poker hand. In many rooms the dealer gathers the bets from each round and moves them to the middle of the table. The term is the opposite of a side pot.
The distinction matters only when a player is all in. A player who runs out of chips can win at most the amount they could match from each opponent. That amount forms the center pot, and any bets above it go to a separate pile.
At showdown the center pot is awarded first. If the all-in player has the best hand, they win the center pot and the others compete for the side pot. If someone else has the best hand, the all-in player is out of the hand and the main pot goes to the winner.
Do not confuse the center pot with dead money. Dead money is chips in the pot that came from players who folded, while the center pot is the pot that all remaining players are competing for. A pot can be both: the center pot usually contains some dead money.
Online sites display the center pot and each side pot as separate amounts under the table, so you can see exactly what each player can win.
Alternative spelling: Centre Pot