$4/8 game. This is kind of embarrassing for me to post because I should know this, but here goes:

I have AK of clubs on button. Woman in early position limps, 2nd woman calls, I raise. Big blind 3 bets and says "I'm all in," even though he still has 2 chips left. First woman calls, 2nd woman calls. I want to cap but don't know if I can, because the 3-bettor only has 2 chips left. I should have just asked the dealer "can I cap?" but felt like an idiot for not knowing. So I just called.

So, asking you guys: After the big blind 3-bet to $12, and only had $2 left behind, was I allowed to cap it? Or by rule do I have to call because the last raise was put in by someone with less than a full bet left? I know that is really stupid and basic but I do not know the answer.

Anyway, flop comes 3 low cards, with only one club. The big blind tosses out his last 2 chips. Both women call. I tossed two chips in also. Should I have raised here? I didn't really see the point, seeing as I only had overcards and a backdoor club draw, and was still confused by the previous street.

Turn was another club. The two women checked, and so did I. Is this an automatic bet? I remembered someone saying never bet into a dry side pot, but never really understood what they were talking about.

River was a 3rd club, giving me the nuts. They both checked and I bet. One of them called, I showed, she mucked as did BB.

I'd just go ahead and try to cap it preflop. If they make me take it back then meh, but I think you can here because the 3 bet was complete. Reads on the limpers would help. Will they chase a pair in a dry sidepot? I'd probably bet the flop if the board was uncoordinated like 249 rainbow, but not if it was 356(any 4 is flipping against AK) or had a flushdraw(any flushdraw is flipping against AK). On the turn I'd check as played or if I bet the flop. River is easy.

You can definitely cap PF since the 3! was a complete bet. Even if the 3! put him all in, you could still cap.

I think flop and turn are ok, but as Bob said reads would help. I don't like playing by general rules such as "Don't bet into a dry side pot." Sometimes that's a good idea, and sometimes it isn't.

Yes you can cap preflop. In most casinos even if he 3-bets light you can cap as long as it's a half bet or more - so if you raise (8 chips), and he raises all-in but only has 2 extra chips (10 chips total), then you can cap - but it will be 2 chips short - so 14 chips cap. If he goes all in and it's only 1 more chip (9chips total) then you can only call the 1 chip back to you. If he can fully 3 bet and has 2 chips behind, then 4-bet it, and there will be a side pot with 2 chips from each of the other players.

As played you played it ok. Consider this though - if you can get the other players to fold hands like Kj QJ JT 9T, etc.. or even 22, or 33 to lay down on the turn, and all-in guy has a non-pair hand and the river is a blank that doesn't pair all-in guy, then you saved the main pot for yourself unimproved - so there is sometimes a benefit to betting the side pot - in that it can save you the main pot.

It's situational of course, but when you have a draw to the nuts and 2 overcards it's not a bad place to bet anyway, as you have a lot of outs.

Preflop - Any place I've played, you are allowed to cap, even if the last raiser doesn't have enough chips to cover your raise.

Flop - fine. Raising doesn't make any sense with 3 opponents and one all in.

Turn - It would not make sense to bet this turn with only one card to come and one player all in. I can see never bluffing into a dry side pot, but I bet into dry side pots all the time. In this case you are drawing, and there are not enough players who could call your turn bet to make it +EV.

When in doubt in a m-way pot, cap. They'll return your chips if you've made an error, but in this case they'll just make the bb toss his remaining chips. There are a number of low card flops I'd bet with two live villains, but with some, I'd take the freebie.

Thanks a lot, guys. Your comments really helped me clarify things.

Just shovel in the monieZ.

Kinda what I was thinking ....

Cap PF, but I like rest as played.

it depends on the house but usually you can complete the partial bet if it is less than half. If more you can raise