Pot studied in Haarlem under Karel van Mander (who left the town in 1603). He served as dean in the Haarlem guild in 1626, 1630 and 1635 and as hoofdman in 1634 and 1648. He appears as a Lieutenant amongst officers of the Haarlem Civic Guard in group portraits by Hals of the St Hadrian Company c.1633 and St George's Company in 1639 (both in Haarlem). Pot himself had painted the Officers of the St George's Company c.1630 (Haarlem).

In 1632 be was in London where he painted portraits of Charles I and Henrietta Maria (undated examples in the Louvre and at Buckingham Palace). In 1633 he was back in Haarlem where be is recorded until 1648: later he moved to Amsterdam, where he died in 1657. A versatile but variable artist, he painted portraits, genre scenes and histories.