In poker, a forced bet is a bet that a player must make before the hand is dealt to induce the action, regardless of what they get.
The purpose of a forces bet is to create action and ensure that there is always something to play for in poker hands.
Depending on the poker format, there are three main types of forced bets:
- Blinds – blinds are forced bets used in cash games and tournaments that are typically made by only two players at the table. There are two types of blinds, the small blind – posted by the player to the immediate left of the dealer, and the big blind – posted by the player on the immediate left of the small blind.
- Antes – antes are small forced bets that can, depending on the game's betting structure, be made by all players at the table before the hand is dealt or by one player, which is then called a big blind ante.
- Bring-ins – bring-ins are small forced bets made by the player with the lowest-ranking card in some lowball poker games.
Overall, forced bets are an essential part of poker as they help create action and ensure that there is something at stake in every hand.
Poker Forced Bet Example:
Let’s say you are playing in a Texas Holdem tournament with a $1 million guarantee, and the current blinds are $500/$1,000 with $100 ante.
In this situation, every player at the table needs to post $100 as the ante. Additionally, the first player to the left of the button has to post $500 for the small blind, and the second player to the left of the button must put $1,000 for the big blind.
In this hand, there are two types of forced bets – antes and SB with BB since players need to post these bets before they get their cards.
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