Blinds, Antes and Bet Sizes
Blinds start every Hold’em hand: the small blind posts the smaller forced bet and the big blind posts the full blind before anyone sees their cards. Some tournaments also use an ante to put more money in the pot. With a traditional ante, every player contributes. With the now-common big blind ante (BBA), the player in the big blind posts one combined ante for the table as well as the big blind. The BBA is typically equal to one big blind, although the exact amount can vary by tournament structure. We express stacks and preflop raises in big blinds (BB) so different games are easy to compare.
What you will be able to do
- Distinguish blinds, a traditional ante and a big blind ante.
- Convert chip amounts into big blinds.
- Recognize realistic opening-size ranges without treating them as universal rules.
POKER CONSEQUENCE
Turn chips into big blinds
Blinds
SB 0.5 BB + BB 1 BB
Two players post forced bets before seeing their cards.
Traditional ante
Everyone contributes
Every player adds a small amount to the pot.
Big blind ante
The BB posts for the table
The BB posts both its blind and a separate combined ante for the table.
500 / 1,000 with a 1,000 BBA
Put every stack in the same unit
100 chips ÷ 2 chips per BB
At 1/2 blinds, 100 chips is a 50 BB stack.
Common opening sizes
A 2 BB open is common.
Varies with the game and position.
Some tables routinely open larger.
These are starting points. Stack depth, position, limpers and table tendencies can change the useful size.
Solver study commonly compares a fixed menu of permitted sizes. The sizes are model assumptions too; Solver Foundations will explain how to read them.
Villain bets 6 BB. You raise to 18 BB.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER
A big blind ante does not mean every player posts an extra big blind. One player—the current big blind—posts the combined ante for the table. Opening sizes such as 2 BB or 4 BB are also conventions shaped by the game, not signals that always reveal hand strength.
TRY IT
This is a 1-question test. Start when you are ready.
Takeaway
Blinds begin the pot. Antes add more forced money; with a big blind ante, the BB posts the table’s combined ante. Expressing stacks and raises in BB makes different games easier to compare, but common sizes are starting points—not laws.