Article updated on February 23, 2025
Some things don't come with second chances, like a first kiss, a job interview, or meeting your future in-laws. Thankfully, however, poker isn’t always one of them.
“Why?” you might ask.
It's all down to something called 'running it twice'. It's a term you've heard before, but what is "run it twice" in poker?
- How does “run it twice” in poker work?
- What does it mean to run it twice in poker?
- Is learning how to run it twice in poker a good idea?
What Is Running It Twice?
Running it twice in poker involves dealing two boards in an all-in confrontation. If two players go all-in before the flop, the dealer will deal a flop, turn and river as usual, and then a second flop turn and river below it.
Like in any other hand, players then use their hole cards to make their best hand.
- Each runout is independent, and players can use any of their hole cards on either poker board.
- Each runout is only worth half of the pot, so you will need to have the best hand on both boards to win the pot. This result is scooping.
If you have the best hand on board 1 but not board 2, you will win half of the pot, which often happens in coin-flip situations.
When Can I Run It Twice?
In poker games, you can only run it twice if all players involved in the hand are all-in and also agree to run it twice.
Can I Run It Twice Post-Flop?
What does it mean to run it twice in poker post-flop? In this instance, the dealer will run the remainder of the hand twice. For example, if two players go all-in on the flop, the dealer will deal a turn and river as usual and then an additional turn and river.
Likewise, if players go all-in on the turn, the dealer will deal two rivers, each worth half of the pot.
What If One Board Is a Split Pot?
Occasionally, players will win one runout and split the pot on the other. This scenario could happen with AK vs AQ on a runout like K662Q on board 1 and JTQK3 on board 2.
Here, AK wins the first runout with 2 pair, and both players have a straight on board 2.
In this case, the player with AK will receive three-quarters of the pot and AQ poker hand the remaining quarter. This scenario doesn’t happen very often, which is good news for dealers!
Can I Run It Twice in Multi-Way Pots?
Though you can run it twice in multi-way pots, some casinos only allow you to do so in heads-up situations.
There will often be a side pot in card rooms where you can run it twice multi-way since players usually have different-sized stacks. Like any other side pot, only players who have put money into the pot can win the proceeds.
Is There an Advantage to Running It Twice?
It's a common misconception that running it twice can have some strategic advantages, but that's not true.
It doesn’t matter whether you decide to run a hand twice or not because all possible combinations of runouts will appear in the long term.
For example, if you have A♠️K♠️ vs 8♥️8♦️, you will have 47.5% equity, which means that you will win the pot 47.5% of the pot on average.
Should I Run It Twice?
Though the amount you will win in the long run is unaffected by running it twice, doing so can help to reduce the financial swings of poker variance. The only way to minimise the impact of short-term luck is to play as many hands as possible.
Without getting too deep, results can differ widely in the short term but even out as the sample size (the number of times you run the hand) increases.
Consider J♠️T♠️ vs 8♣️8♦️ in an all-in confrontation. In poker terms, this matchup is about as close to a 50/50 as you can get.
If you run it once, it is impossible to match the expected winning frequency of 50% because you would win or lose 100% of the time.
However, if you run it twice, there are three possible outcomes:
- Win Pot: This result will happen 25% of the time
- Lose Pot: This scenario will also occur 25% of the time
- Split Pot: This outcome will happen 50% of the time
Even with just two runs, winning 50% becomes not only possible but the most likely outcome. Though this example is oversimplified, the trend continues as you run the hand more and more.
Theoretically, you should always run a hand as often as possible to reduce variance. But you can always choose not to if you want to have some fun and gamble.
After all, sucking out is hard, but doing it twice is more strenuous than taking on a steak with no teeth!
Why Can’t I Run It Twice in Tournaments?
What does it mean to run it twice in poker tournaments? Running it twice isn’t available in tournament poker for good reasons.
- It undermines their ‘live or die’ nature or this poker format.
- It allows players to be hyper-aggressive in pre-flop play, resulting in many split pots.
Too many split pots would make tournaments last much longer, which is unlikely to be very popular since they can be marathons.
Running it twice would dilute the allure that brings players to the tournament tables: Those looking to test their post-flop skills will likely be put off by the longer running time, leading to higher blinds and shallower stacks. The result would turn world poker tournaments into more of a crap-shoot as a result.
Thrill seekers aren’t likely to appreciate running it twice, either. Split pots aren’t inspiring and having two chances to win acts as an insurance policy that diminishes the jeopardy of going ‘all-in’.
With this in mind, it seems unlikely that running it twice will ever become part tournament poker structure.
The History of Running It Twice
Because running it twice reduces the variance in poker, it originally gained popularity in live cash games. Players looked for ways to mitigate the financial swings of the game.
This reasoning is even more critical in live poker, where hands come very slowly, making it more challenging to play a sample that is significant enough to tackle variance.
Poker-boom TV shows like Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker made running it twice seem cool. So, even new players unfamiliar with maths seemed to emulate their heroes, increasing its popularity.
Interestingly, these shows also allowed players to run boards as many times as they wanted, often running them two, three, or even four times. This scenario was a lot of fun and has found its way into local card rooms.
Until recently, running it twice was a luxury reserved for live poker rooms and fantastical poker movies. But recent software improvements allow players to run boards two, three, or even four times, so long as all players agree.
So, there you have it - the answers to what does run it twice mean in poker!
Here’s a quick true or false quiz to put your newfound knowledge to the test:
True or False --- SCROLL DOWN for answers
- Running it twice makes it easier to suck out?
- You can only run a board twice?
- Phil Ivey was the first person to run it twice.
- Running it twice gives you no strategic advantage?
- You can only run it twice online?
- Running it twice helps reduce the impact of luck in poker.
- You can only run it twice in cash games?
- Only fish run it twice?
- Running it twice makes it harder to win?
- You can’t run it twice if your opponent doesn’t want to?
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ANSWERS - Run It Twice QUIZ
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
See Also
