Blinds and Antes

Blinds and antes are an important part of any seasoned poker player's strategy. They are given a lot of attention in a typical game session. Individual players rely on them heavily while developing their strategy. However, it is interesting to note that learning more about antes and blinds an help us also develop an overall internet poker strategy. Before we go into further detail it is important to keep in mind that poker strategy 101 says we must always play as many EV+ hands as possible. In the long run, this strategy holds great significance.

Many players often use the fact that they have put in money into the pot as an excuse for their aggressive behaviour in the game. The very premise in this theory is wrong. This is because any money put into the pot belongs to the pot then on. No individual can claim ownership over that money till the game is over. A difficult thing for most players to accept is that the rake you pay does not give you any importance over others. However the amount you pay into the pot does give you some say.  This however, is not always the case with odds.

Now let us look at what happens to blinds and antes that are in the stage where they have already been paid out. It is important to note that in this case, the effect has a great influence on the pot and makes a great difference. In the following paragraph we shall explain this in detail. To understand this you must first note that the EV+ gets better as the blinds get bigger. The EV+ is better for the guy who posts the biggest blinds.  Your odds of winning higher amount are elevated when you post bigger blinds. Thus do not feel bad if you sometimes feel like you have been forced to pay them. Always remember that bigger the blinds, looser and easier the game begins, similarly smaller blinds mean tighter play.