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Poker Dictionary – Big Blind Ante

Whether you have been playing poker for a long time or have just started off in this expansive poker world, you must have come across at least one poker word or term that left you bewildered. Ever happened? We know what that feels like. So to save you from such situations, we bring to you common and uncommon poker terms, with their meanings, usage, and importance. 

In this article, we will talk about the term ‘big blind ante.’ You might have come across the two terms ‘big blind’ and ‘ante’ separately, but what is a ‘big blind ante’? Let’s find out.

What is Big–Blind Ante?

A big blind ante is an ante posted by the player in the big blind position on behalf of the entire table. The value of the big blind ante is equal to the big blind. Usually, in poker, the big blind is a compulsory bet placed by the player to the left of the small blind. Similarly, an ante is a compulsory amount that each player sitting on the table has to put in. 

A lot of poker players as well as organisers believe that the ante method slows down the game. Additionally, there have been instances of players arguing on who has and has not posted the antes, further slowing down the game. Big blind ante is a relatively newer concept brought in by tournament organisers to speed up the game. So, in tournaments that follow the big blind ante format, the player in the big blind position posts the ante equal to the amount of the big blind on behalf of the entire table. Since the big blind position keeps moving, the player posting the big blind ante also changes in every hand. 

Example of big blind ante:

In a normal Texas Hold’em game, if the table is a 1000/2000 one, the small blind will post 1000 and the big blind will post 2000. Additionally, every player on the table posts ante of 250, as an example. In this case, if the table has nine players, the ante collected would be 2,250. However, if the number of players is five, the ante will be 1,250. So the ante amount varies on the number of players.

In a big blind ante tournament, on the same table, if Player B is the big blind, he/she will post 2000 as his big blind and 2000 as the big blind ante. In this case, the other players do not post any ante amount. Player B posts the ante on behalf of the entire table. The ante amount, in this case, remains constant, i.e., equal to the big blind. The ante will remain 2000 if there are two players, five players, or nine players on the table.

There have been mixed reactions from players and poker aficionados to this new concept. While some believe it helps bring more speed and action to the table, some argue it goes against the integrity of the game. The big blind ante format was adopted by the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for the first time in bracelet events at the 2018 WSOP, with a total of 8 of the 78 bracelets awarded in the new format.

If you are interested in learning about more poker terms, then head to our poker glossary page. Keep reading Gutshot Magazine. Also, follow us on our social handles Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.

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