Multiple All-ins - Who wins?

[smeserve]

Game Details:

No Limit Hold'em
Top three players get a piece of the winnings.

Here is the situation:

Position from the button is B, C, A.

Player A is the short stack, B is chip leader, and C is in the middle.

After the initial betting only A, B, and C are still in the game.

Player A goes all in and is called by B and C after the flop.

Player B and C both bet into a side pot on the Turn.

Player B goes all in on the river and is called by C.

Player B wins both pots and knocks out A and C.


The question now is who gets the third place finish?

Some people argued that the knock out follows the pots and C was knocked out on the side pot, so A gets third position.

Some argued that since C had money in the main pot that he should have been able to be a part of that pot and since he had a better hand than A, then C should have taken the third spot.

Some argued that if two people are knocked out on the same hand then the order of their knock out would follow their position from the button, thus giving A the third spot since C was closer to the button?

Can I get any help on this?

[Dave B]

The larger stack before the hand starts is the higher finisher. So Player C finishes ahead of Player A.