The BB Ante... I've got a question

I've been playing some live trnys lately and the BB ante is the preferred structure around here. My question is: why is the ante the same when there's less than a full ring? I'm of the understanding that the antes are presented this way to keep lower denominations out of the game's circulation and make it easier/quicker for the dealer to calculate pots. I mean online if there are only 7 players seated at a 9-player table then only 7 x ante is the total, not the full ring total. Am I alone here or is there a reason for the BB ante to be the same as the BB regardless of the number of seated players? Thank you for your input CC'ers.

takinitSLEAZEE said:

I've been playing some live trnys lately and the BB ante is the preferred structure around here. My question is: why is the ante the same when there's less than a full ring? I'm of the understanding that the antes are presented this way to keep lower denominations out of the game's circulation and make it easier/quicker for the dealer to calculate pots. I mean online if there are only 7 players seated at a 9-player table then only 7 x ante is the total, not the full ring total. Am I alone here or is there a reason for the BB ante to be the same as the BB regardless of the number of seated players? Thank you for your input CC'ers.

Click to expand...

I always thought the ante was to induce action per level (that and to make it to where the dealers and players can go home at a predictable time lol) I have seen the antes kicked up a level early just to make the tourney go faster.

Pokerstudy said:

I always thought the ante was to induce action per level (that and to make it to where the dealers and players can go home at a predictable time lol) I have seen the antes kicked up a level early just to make the tourney go faster.

Click to expand...

OP is referring to BB ante (the BB pays the ante for the entire table, as well as their BB)

takinitSLEAZEE said:

. Am I alone here or is there a reason for the BB ante to be the same as the BB regardless of the number of seated players?

Click to expand...

Good question. I have no clue.

i have never look at it that way

Poker Orifice said:

OP is referring to BB ante (the BB pays the ante for the entire table, as well as their BB)

Click to expand...

Right, which still is used to induce action to make the tournament go faster…I wouldn’t want the ante to go higher or lower depending on how many players there are, that would be one more number to calculate and make the tournament that much longer lol. 6 hours is enough for a tournament, absolutely no reason to try and drag it out even longer IMO

The simpler the math is per level (and to be consistently predictable) the easier the game is for me.

BB ante format is designed to ensure a minimum amount of money in the pot each hand, and the size of the BB ante remains the same regardless of the number of players at the table.
The main reason is to ensure that there is a minimum amount of money in the pot each hand, which helps to create more action and reduces the likelihood of players simply folding and waiting for better hands.

When the BB ante size is fixed, it means that the total amount of antes posted each hand will be the same, regardless of the number of players at the table. This creates a more consistent level of play, which can be important in tournament structures where blind levels increase over time and players need to accumulate chips to stay competitive.

Additionally, using a fixed BB ante size simplifies the ante process, which can save time and reduce confusion at the table. Players only need to remember to post their small blind, big blind, and the BB ante, rather than calculating and posting individual antes each hand.

Overall, using a fixed BB ante size is a practical and effective way to structure tournament play, ensuring that there is always a minimum amount of money in the pot and creating a consistent level of play for all players.

I think it's really for simplicity to speed up the game, i.e. just one person needs to put the ante in, not the whole table

The BB ante was introduced to speed up the game. The ante remains the same regardless of the amount of players as, according to the wsop, the term ante has been redefined. Here is a quote from cardplayer.com in 2019

The WSOP introduced Big Blind Ante events into last year’s series on a limited basis, and after careful consideration and study, and broader use, including throughout the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe, the plan moving forward is to use this format in all events where antes exist. It has also been widely adopted elsewhere.

The BB-ante is a fundamental rethinking of what the ante is. The ante in this format is no longer a specified amount that each player pays each hand. It’s now a specified amount that each player pays each round. If a player in the tournament does not have the required amount for both the Big Blind and the Ante, the Big Blind will be paid first, followed by the ante.

https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/23573-world-series-of-poker-all-no-limit-hold-em-events-to-use-big-blind-ante-in-2019

BB ante is always the same size of the BB no matter what the amount of players at the table are. It was done to make the game faster and have less issues or arguing if someone forgot to place the ante. My 1st though on it was it was a horrible idea but once I played with it being used I found it actually not so bad and liked it. The one negative is you will spend more per orbit as the stacks get shorter but like everything in poker we just need to adjust. The one big positive is when very short you could have several hands on not putting in the ante to wait and hope for a good hand to play.

The idea of the BB Ante is to simplify and speed up the process of the live tournament (a money loser for most casinos). Calculating the BB Ante every single hand (and making mistakes along the way) is not simplification.

Station_Master said:

I think it's really for simplicity to speed up the game, i.e. just one person needs to put the ante in, not the whole table

Click to expand...

exactly this ^ (and to make it easier for the Dealer). I think some of the responses are over-complicating something that's been changed to do just the opposite, lol.

Thanx for the input folx. I kinda felt like it was all of the above, but I wasn't sure about the math for the ante, itself. Changing its structure to suit a broader purpose does change the definition. Got it, it's just an updated tournament tweak.

At our club tournaments, we reduce the ante to the size of the SB when 12, 11 10 & 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 handed. This adds a bit more play into our tournaments. We only play 9 handed and the final table is at 9 players. If anyone is interested in seeing our structure, just reply here and I'll attach it.

We start with T20K, 20min levels and begin at 100/200, only 1 rebuy allowed. BB ante begins at level 3. Our tournaments start at 11am and end sometime around 7pm with a 30min lunch break.