{"id":3103,"date":"2018-03-19T15:37:29","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T16:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=3103"},"modified":"2018-03-19T17:32:32","modified_gmt":"2018-03-19T17:32:32","slug":"heres-big-blind-ante-first-debate-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/heres-big-blind-ante-first-debate-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why The Big Blind Or Ante First Debate Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an effort to speed up the game, poker tournaments are experimenting with a tweaked process for posting antes called the \u201cBig Blind Ante.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Big Blind Ante games, instead of each player posting an ante at the beginning of a hand, the BB antes for the entire table.<\/p>\n

So far, players overwhelmingly like the big blind ante format. Not only does it speed up the game, it also eliminates the need to keep small denomination chips in play past their usefulness.<\/p>\n

But not everything is peachy keen with the new structure.<\/p>\n

A debate over what comes first<\/a>, the ante or the blind bets players are required to post at the start of each hand, has overtaken Poker Twitter.<\/p>\n

The debate almost exclusively involves high-stakes poker players and tournament directors, with the two sides arguing player preference vs. fairness.<\/p>\n

The two sides of the debate<\/span><\/h2>\n

Poker players are focused on what players would prefer, citing the disappointment an extremely short-stacked player would feel if they were only capable of winning their chips back (the antes) in an all-in situation.<\/p>\n

Tournament directors are more interested in changing the long-established norm of antes being posted before the blinds, and whether or not doing the opposite is \u201cfair\u201d to everyone.<\/p>\n

The conversation is mainly centered around a situation where a player is extremely short-stacked, and the two radically different outcomes that ante-first or big-blind-first create:<\/p>\n

\n

Ante 1st scenario. pic.twitter.com\/scZaRLqDnm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Willie Elliot (@Willie_Hmmm) March 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

BB 1st scenario. pic.twitter.com\/sGpW0ZJHaL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Willie Elliot (@Willie_Hmmm) March 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Considering the infrequency and insignificance of the scenario, it may seem trivial. However, there is an important component to this conversation most people are overlooking: game integrity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Game integrity<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the BB ante format, the big blind is posting the antes for the entire table. That means that each player at the table owes that player a single ante, and the debt is paid when they are in the big blind and pay the antes for the table.<\/p>\n

Steve Badger<\/strong> did a good job explaining one scenario where game integrity could be compromised if the ante is considered before the big blind on Twitter:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not simply a potential issue in unlikely end-of-game scenarios.<\/p>\n

Imagine the same all-in situation only it\u2019s the first-hand of a nine-handed single-table-tournament, where each player starts with 100 chips, and there is a two-chip small blind, a four-chip big blind, and a one-chip ante.<\/p>\n

On the first hand, each player should have an equal number of chips, but that\u2019s not the case. The big blind is short eight chips that have been \u201clent\u201d to the other players at the table. In an all-in situation, the big blind is unduly penalized<\/strong>, since they can\u2019t win any other player\u2019s entire stack.<\/p>\n

Further, if the BB is eliminated they would never have an opportunity to recoup the chips they are still owed.<\/p>\n

If the BB calls an all-in their effective stack is 91 chips (4 chips from the blind and 87 remaining in their stack). On the flip side, the other players (sans the small blind) are playing a stack of \u00a0100 chips. The under-the-gun player can win 102 chips \u2014 the 15 chips in the pot plus 87 chips from their opponent \u2014 leaving the losing player with nine chips.<\/p>\n

Now move to the next hand. Suppose the losing player was the small blind and is now the big blind. In an ante-first scenario they would first have to obligate their debts to the other players and would only be able to win the nine chips they ante. In the BB-first scenario they would be eligible to win the blinds, four chips from any player who calls, and the partial five-chip ante they posted.<\/p>\n