What Are Blinds and Antes in Poker?

In poker, blinds and antes are forced bets that are required to be made by certain players before any cards are dealt. The purpose of these bets is to generate action and keep the pot size large, so that there is something worth winning for all of the players at the table.

Blinds are typically small bets that are made by the two players sitting immediately to the left of the dealer button. The player directly to the left of the button is required to make the small blind, while the player two to the left of the button must make the big blind.

The size of the blinds will vary depending on the stakes of the game, but they are usually fairly small compared to the size of the pot.

PRO TIP:In poker, blinds and antes are mandatory bets that must be made by the players before any cards are dealt. Blinds are bets made by two players to the left of the dealer, while antes are bets made by every player at the table. These bets are used to create action and get the pot started.

Antes are similar to blinds in that they are forced bets that must be made before any cards are dealt. However, antes are typically much larger than blinds, and they are paid by all of the players at the table, not just those sitting to the left of the dealer button.

Antes are used in games with higher stakes, as they help to keep the pot size large and generate more action.

Both blinds and antes can be used to generate action and keep the pot size large in poker games. They are typically small compared to the size of the pot, but can be quite large in games with high stakes.