The Kill Pot

A kill pot is an optional rule used in fixed-limit poker games to add excitement and increase the stakes. When a kill is triggered, the limits are raised for the next hand, and the player who triggered the kill must post an overblind and play the hand.

When Is a Kill Triggered?

The most common trigger: a player wins two consecutive pots. This is tracked with a kill button marker — the winner of each pot holds the kill button until the next hand is complete. If the same player wins again, the kill is triggered and they must post the kill blind. In high-low split games, a common variant requires a kill only when a player scoops (wins both the high and low) a pot bigger than an agreed size — typically five times the big bet. Agree on the trigger rule before you start playing.

A winning streak tracked this way is sometimes called having a "leg up" — you have one leg up after winning the first pot, and must kill when you win again.

When the Kill Button Is Neutral

The kill button belongs to no player (and no kill can be triggered) when:

• It is the first hand of a new game.
• The winner of the previous pot has quit the game.
• The previous pot was split, and neither of the players who split it held the kill button.

Kill Pot Rules

1. A kill is triggered when the player holding the kill button wins a second qualifying pot. There is no pot-size requirement for the first pot (the first "leg"). For the second leg to qualify, the player must win at least one full bet beyond the blind money — blinds never count toward it.
2. The player who triggered the kill must post the kill blind before the next hand is dealt.
3. The kill blind is a live blind. If no one raises before action returns to the killer, they may raise.
4. In a kill pot, the killer acts in proper turn — after the player to their immediate right.
5. For the duration of the kill hand, all bets and raises are at the kill level (double for full kill, 1.5× for half kill).
6. Only one kill per hand. You cannot have a kill on a kill.
7. The kill applies to all streets of the hand, not just pre-flop.
8. If a player with a leg up splits the next pot, they retain their leg up going into the following hand. If that player was also the killer in the previous hand, they must kill again.
9. A player who leaves the table while holding a leg up still has that leg up when they return. Play continues normally while they're gone — another player can earn their own leg up in the meantime, and each is tracked separately.
10. A player who is required to post a kill must do so even if they wish to quit or sit out. A player who fails to post a required kill blind will not be allowed to participate in any subsequent hand until the kill is posted.
11. Kill blinds are considered part of the pot. If the killer wins again, they must kill the next pot again for the same amount.
12. If the kill is triggered but the killer cannot afford the kill blind, they may post what they have and are all-in for the kill hand.
13. A new player is not entitled to play in a killed pot, but may do so by agreeing to kill the next pot themselves.
14. At lowball — the traditional home of kill games — a new player, or one whose big blind has passed while they were away, may either wait for the big blind or post a voluntary kill (double the big blind, with kill limits for that hand) to be dealt in immediately.
15. Kill pots add excitement and variance. Make sure all players understand the rules before play begins to avoid disputes.

Example — Full Kill at $1/$2 Limit

Normal limits: $1 small bet (pre-flop and flop), $2 big bet (turn and river). You win a pot — one leg up, and you take the kill button. Next hand you win again, and the pot includes at least one full bet. Kill triggered. You post a $4 kill blind (2× the $2 big blind), and for the entire next hand the limits are $2 small bet / $4 big bet. You act in your normal turn order, and because the kill blind is live, you may raise if no one else has.

Example — Half Kill at $1/$2 Limit

Same setup: you win a second qualifying pot while holding the kill button. Half kill triggered. You post a $3 kill blind (1.5× the $2 big blind). Half-kill limits: $1.50 small bet / $3 big bet. In practice, most groups round — confirm house rules for rounding before you play.

Kill pot rules adapted from Robert Ciaffone's standard rule set.