What is an ante in poker?

What are antes?

An ante is a compulsory bet that helps build the pot before any cards are dealt. Antes ensure there’s always something to play for and are most common in poker tournaments. Today, most tournaments use a big blind ante system, where the player in the big blind posts one extra bet equal to the big blind amount. This replaced the older traditional ante format, where every player paid a small ante in every hand.

Antes keep the action moving by seeding the pot and discouraging overly tight play.

Types of ante

There are two types of antes in poker:

1. Traditional antes: where every player contributes a small amount each hand.

2. Big blind antes: where only the big blind pays a single ante that covers the whole table.

How antes work

Antes are collected before the first cards are dealt, alongside the blinds. In tournament poker, antes may be in effect from the start, or they can be introduced after a few levels to increase the pace of play and ensure there’s always something in the pot to fight for.

• In traditional ante structures, every player pays an equal amount each hand. For example, 500 chips each when the blinds are 2,000/4,000.

• In big blind ante structures, only the player in the big blind posts a single ante. The ante is usually equal to the big blind. Using the same example, with blinds of 2,000/4,000, the big blind would post a 4,000 blind and a 4,000 big blind ante.

Both systems create the same result: a pot that starts with extra chips before the first action, encouraging more play, fewer folds, and greater reward for stealing the blinds and antes.

It’s important to note that the ante is separate from the big blind, meaning it doesn’t count towards any future action in the hand. For instance, if the blinds are 2000/4000/4000 (big blind ante) and another player raises to 20,000, the big blind must still call an additional 16,000 to match the bet. The ante simply seeds the pot and isn’t part of your betting amount.

Big blind ante vs. traditional antes

Before the introduction of big blind antes, poker tournaments used traditional antes, where every player posted a small amount in every hand. For example, 500 chips each at 2000/4000 blinds. While this achieved the same result (a bigger pot to fight for), it slowed down play considerably, and meant that players always needed change in small-denomination chips.

Big blind antes have become the preferred format for several reasons:

• Faster play: Only one player posts the ante, so dealers don’t need to wait for multiple players to throw in small chips.

• Simpler for players: No need to remember to post your ante every hand.

• Cleaner game flow: Dealers and tournament staff can keep the action consistent and efficient.

• Easier chip management: Fewer small-value chips are in play, which means tournament staff can race off (remove) smaller denominations earlier in the event.

Most modern poker tournaments (both live and online) now use the big blind ante system as standard. Traditional antes are still seen occasionally, especially in mixed games or older structures, but they’re now the exception rather than the rule.

Why poker uses antes

Antes make poker more dynamic by creating larger pots and encouraging players to fight for them. They also make the game faster.

For poker rooms and casinos, the big blind ante format helps events move along more quickly. Faster play and increasing chip pressure mean shorter tournaments and quicker eliminations, which allow venues to:

• Run more tournaments in the same timeframe, collecting more entry fees.

• Encourage rebuys or re-entries, as players bust earlier and often buy back in.

• Free up dealers and tables to run more lucrative cash games.

• Move players into cash games faster, where the house earns rake per hand.

For players, the impact of antes can be more divisive. Some enjoy the faster tempo and added urgency, finding it keeps the action flowing and rewards aggression. Others feel it reduces the depth of strategy, forcing short stacks into risky spots and making it harder to play patient, skill-based poker. It tilts the balance of the game more towards variance and luck.

Antes in cash games

Antes are uncommon in standard cash games but appear in some short-handed or high-action formats to encourage more play. The ante size is usually small (around 5–10% of the big blind) and serves the same purpose: creating bigger pots and faster hands.

Example blind structure (with big blind antes)

Here’s a sample blind structure showing how big blind antes are introduced and increase throughout a tournament:

At the start of the event, there’s no ante, only blinds. Once the antes begin, the player in the big blind posts an extra amount equal to the big blind for every hand. However, in many tournaments, antes are in play from the beginning.

As the blinds increase, so does the ante, gradually adding more chips to the pot each round and keeping the action lively as stacks get shorter.

Poker rules for antes

The rules below are taken directly from the 2024 Poker TDA rulebook. Be aware that different casinos and poker rooms have their own house rules.

Posting antes

• Antes are posted before the first card is dealt, along with the blinds.

• In games using a big blind ante, the player in the big blind posts a single ante for the entire table.

• The ante amount is always equal to the big blind unless otherwise stated by the tournament structure.

Missed antes

• Players are responsible for posting their required antes (and blinds) when due.

• If a player is not at their seat when the first card is dealt, their hand is dead, but their ante and blinds are still posted.

All-in for the ante

• If a player has insufficient chips to cover both their ante and blinds, they are all-in for their remaining chips.

• If the player can cover one but not both, the ante is posted first, then the small blind, then the big blind, in that order of priority. (This rule in particular differs between casinos - many places will let you pay the big blind first.)

Big blind ante clarification

• The big blind ante is paid before the big blind.

• The ante is live and in play, but it does not count toward any future betting action.

• The ante belongs to the pot and cannot be recovered or reduced once posted.

FAQs