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| Getting the
Betting Started: Antes and Blinds |
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So, let’s get to the fun of poker—the betting. It’s all about winning all the money that you can from the other players. And getting off to the right start as a beginner will make all the difference as you continue to play.
Let’s break down the terms of betting first.
Antes are the beginning of each and every poker game. An ante is the beginning bet for play. Usually it’s a predetermined amount that each player has to contribute in order to play in the particular hand. This is paid no matter if you fold. It allows the pot to have money in it even if the betting throughout the game is low.
The next term that is heard is blinds. The name blind comes from the fact that players will be placing bets without knowing what the card is. Blinds are another way that the pot can increase without much wagering going on yet. In many cases, the two players to the left of the dealer will start the blinds. The first person will bet something small (the small blind) while the next person to the left will put down a blind of the smallest bet possible (the big blind). And these amounts are predetermined in the game. For example in a game of $1/$2, the small blind would be fifty cents, while the next person – the big blind would be a dollar, or whatever the minimum bid is going to be. Blinds count towards a round of bidding, so when the round of bidding comes back to the blinds, these people have already effectively made a partial bid.
The difference in antes and blinds is that antes are the same amount and everyone has to place a bet before playing. Blinds are considered the first real bet of the game, but none of the players can fold or check so everyone has to chip in, just like an ante.
Antes and blinds are ways to increase the pot before the game continues. You can choose this kind of play or not, but increasing the stakes can always make a game more exciting. |
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