Forced Bets In Poker

All gambling games demand special methods that will help the player to increase his odds. For example, in online blackjack the most common method is the blackjack basic strategy. But poker is a totally different game. Before you learn how to win at poker you need to know how to make bets.

Antes

Ante is the forced bet made by all the gamblers before the cards are dealt. Ante is usually equal to the amount of the lowest bet in the game or even lower. Ante is placed to create the initial pot and encourage the other players to stay longer in the game and contribute more money into the pot. These bets in poker are traditionally used in the draw and stud poker variations and are as a rule not used in the games with the blind structures. Although, the usage of both types of bets is also acceptable at some poker tournaments.

Ante bets are common in poker game variants in which the dealer changes every turn. This eases much betting process however may be a little bit unfair if some of the gamblers have just joined the play or missed their turn to deal. Such players sometimes have to place post (see below).

Blinds

These are the compulsory bets in poker placed by several gamblers before the cards are dealt. It is also the way to stimulate to stay in the hand and compete for the pot. In most of poker versions there are as a rule two blinds: small and big blinds. Small blind is made by the very first gambler at the dealer’s left and it is most of times the half of the big blind. Big blind is placed by the second gambler at the dealer’s left and it is equal to the minimum betting amount determined by the poker rules. This two-blind structure is typical for Hold’em poker games though it is sometimes applied in Omaha poker games. Three-blind structure is possible. In such case the first blind is made by the dealer.

Bring-in

This is also the compulsory bet placed before the players bet but after the cards are dealt. Bring-in is commonly placed by the gambler with the lowest or highest rank of the card dealt to each player face up. Bring-in is used to open betting in the poker games with the ante bets rather than the blind bets. For instance, in stud poker Bring-in is assigned for the gambler who holds the worst face-up card in the first betting round. The amount of bring-in is the same as the min betting size although in the fixed-limit and some spread-limit poker variants it is commonly the half of this betting amount.

Post

In some of online casino poker variants the new player which enters the game in action is to post which means to place bet equal to the big blind or the lowest betting amount. The player that missed to make the blind for some reasons (for example was away from the seat) also has to post when he or she returns to the table. The gamblers that anyway will make the big blind bet are not required to post.