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Poker glossary

Ante

A small forced bet posted by every player (or by the big blind for the table) before a hand is dealt.

Level 1

Also: antes, big blind ante

Antes are common in tournaments, where they grow alongside the blinds to encourage action. Many modern tournaments use a single big blind ante, where the big blind pays the ante for the whole table to speed up play.

Antes make the pot bigger before any cards are dealt, which means stealing the blinds becomes more valuable and you should open a slightly wider range.

Lessons that use this term

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