Q&A #34: Blinds versus Antes
Don't miss one article! Subscribe to the Full Feed RSS or get NPA in your inbox.
Michael asks,
For given game of poker, say the traditional five card draw game, for example how should one think about the difference in correct play if the game has equal antes from each player vs antes in the form of the small and big blinds. Please point in the right direction if there is something in the literature.
The main difference is that ante money is “dead,” and blind money is “live.” All other things being equal, you open with a few more hands against the “dead” antes than against the “live” blinds. Let me show you what I mean.
The remainder of this article is insider content available to premium members only. Log in to your account or become a premium member and get instant access.
Tags: antes, blinds, blinds-versus-antes, five-card-draw, live-blinds, poker
The “ante v. blind” description was a shorthand for the difference in structure between the game I grew up with (being a bit of a geezer)[Jacks or better with antes] and the online version [anything to open with blinds].
For example, the opener does not have bet first in the second round, the betting position is fixed by the distance from the dealer. A caller can still have to go first after the draw depending on the seat.
Sandbagging (check raising the opener) is not quite the same since it seems as if calling the blind to stay in just sweetens the pot for draw hands unless one can count on a raise so that betting come backs to you.
The opener can make the odds longer (in pot limit) by raising the blinds to lay 7:3 rather than just betting the size of the antes and giving 2:1.[Would it ever make much sense to open larger in no limit as a gambit?]
Just a few of the things I noticed about the difference between an online game and the game I’ve played before
Thanks for your thoughts.