Blinds, antes, straddles and bomb pots

Without forced bets, everyone could wait for aces and nobody would ever play a hand. Blinds and antes put a few chips in the middle before the cards are dealt, so there is always something worth fighting for.

Blinds

• The small blind sits directly left of the button and is usually half the big blind.

• The big blind sits two seats left of the button. It is also the minimum bet for the hand.

• Blinds are live: they count towards a call or a raise. If nobody raises, the big blind can still raise (the “option”).

A good rule for a cash-game night: one buy-in should be about 100 big blinds. With a Poker Night buy-in size of 200 chips, play blinds of 1/2.

Antes

An ante is a small extra contribution before the deal. Antes make pots bigger and push people to play more hands. Cash games at home rarely use them; tournaments add them in later levels.

Straddles

A straddle is a voluntary third blind, normally twice the big blind, posted by the player left of the big blind before the cards are dealt. It works like a bigger big blind:

• Preflop action starts with the player left of the straddler.

• The straddler acts last preflop and can raise even if everyone just calls.

• The minimum raise is now based on the straddle, so the game plays one size bigger.

Bomb pots

A bomb pot is a party hand: everyone puts in an agreed amount, preflop betting is skipped, and the flop comes straight away. Betting then runs as normal from the first player left of the button.

1. Agree the amount — commonly 2 to 5 big blinds each.

2. Agree when bomb pots happen — for example once per orbit, when the button reaches the host.

3. Everyone dealt in puts in the amount before the deal. Deal hole cards as usual.

4. Deal the flop and play the hand from there.

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