Editing Betting in poker (section)

==Forced bets==
All poker games require some forced bets to create an initial stake for the players to contest, as well as an initial cost of being dealt each hand for one or more players. The requirements for forced bets and the betting limits of the game (see below) are collectively called the game's ''betting structure''.

===Ante===
An ante is a forced bet in which all players put an equal amount of money or chips into the pot before the deal begins. Often this is either a single ''unit'' (a one-value or the smallest value in play) or some other small amount; a proportion such as a half or a quarter of the minimum bet is also common. An ante paid by every player ensures that a player who folds every round will lose money (though slowly), thus providing all players with an incentive, however small, to play the hand rather than toss it in when the opening bet reaches them.

Antes are the most common forced bet in [[draw poker]] and [[stud poker]] but are uncommon in games featuring blind bets (see next section). However, some tournament formats of games featuring blinds impose an ante to discourage extremely tight play. Antes encourage players to play more loosely by lowering the cost of staying in the hand (calling) relative to the current pot size, offering better [[pot odds]]. With antes, more players stay in the hand, which increases pot size and makes for more interesting play.  This is considered important to ensure good ratings for televised tournament finals.  Most televised high-stakes [[cash game]]s also use both blinds and antes. Televised cash games usually have one of the players, normally the dealer, pay for everyone to accelerate play. If there are six players for example, the dealer would toss six times the ante into the pot, paying for each person. Tournaments which employ antes, often do so only in the later rounds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.888poker.com/magazine/poker-terms/ante |title=What is Ante in Poker? |website=[[888poker]] |date=22 October 2018|access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

In live cash games where the acting dealer changes each turn, it is not uncommon for the players to agree that the dealer (or some other position relative to the [[Button (poker)|button]]) provides the ante for each player. This simplifies betting, but causes minor inequities if other players come and go or miss their turn to deal. During such times, the player can be given a special button indicating the need to pay an ante to the pot (known as "posting"; see below) upon their return.  Some cardrooms eliminate these inequities by always dealing all players into every hand whether they are present or not.  In such cases casino staff (or neighboring players under staff supervision) will be expected to post antes and fold hands on behalf of absent players as necessary.

===Blinds ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Five-card draw]] -->
{{Main|Blind (poker)}}
[[Image:Texas Hold'em Poker Table with Blinds.svg|thumb|right|A standard Texas hold 'em game with blinds]]
A '''blind bet''' or just '''blind''' is a forced bet placed into the pot by one or more players before the deal begins, in a way that simulates bets made during play. The most common use of blinds as a betting structure calls for two blinds: the player after the dealer blinds about half of what would be a normal bet, and the next player blinds what would be a whole bet.  This two-blind structure, sometimes with antes, is the dominating structure of play for [[community card poker]] games such as [[Texas hold 'em]].  Sometimes only one blind is used (often informally as a "price of winning" the previous hand), and sometimes three are used (this is sometimes seen in [[Omaha hold 'em]]).  In the case of three blinds (usually one quarter, one quarter, and half a normal bet amount), the first blind goes "on the button", that is, is paid by the dealer.

A blind is usually a "live bet"; the amount paid as the blind is considered when figuring the bet to that player (the amount needed to call) during the first round. However, some situations, such as when a player was absent from the table during a hand in which they should have paid a blind, call for placing a "dead blind"; the blind does not count as a bet.

For example, in a $2–4 limit game, the first player to the dealer's left (who, if not for the blinds, would be the first to act) posts a '''small blind''' of $1, and the next player in turn posts a '''big blind''' of $2.  After the cards are dealt, play begins with the next player in turn (third from the dealer), who must either call $2, raise, or fold.  When the betting returns to the player who blinded $1, they must equal the bet facing them (toward which they may count their $1), raise, or fold. If there have been no raises when action first gets to the big blind (that is, the bet amount facing them is just the amount of the big blind they posted), the big blind has the ability to raise or check. This right to raise (called the ''option'') occurs only once.  As with any raise, if their raise is now called by every player, the first betting round closes as usual.

Similarly to a missed ante, a missed blind due to the player's temporary absence (e.g. for drinks or a restroom break) can be denoted by use of a special button. Upon the player's return, they must pay the applicable blind to the pot for the next hand they will participate in. The need for this rule is eliminated in casinos that deal in absent players as described above. Also the rule is for temporary absences only; if a player leaves the table permanently, special rules govern the assigning of blinds and button (see next subsection).

In some [[#Fixed limit|fixed-limit]] and [[#Spread limit|spread-limit]] games, especially if three blinds are used, the big blind amount may be less than the normal betting minimum. Players acting after a sub-minimum blind have the right to call the blind as it is, even though it is less than the amount they would be required to bet, or they may raise the amount needed to bring the current bet up to the normal minimum, called ''completing'' the bet.  For example, a limit game with a $5 minimum bet on the first round might have blinds of $1 and $2.  Players acting after the blind may either call the $2, or raise to $5.  After the bet is raised to $5, the next raise must be to $10 in accordance with the normal limits.

====When a player in the blinds leaves the game====
When one or more players pays the small or big blinds for a hand, then after that hand permanently leaves the game (by "busting out" in a tournament or simply calling it a night at a public cardroom), an adjustment is required in the positioning of the blinds and the button. There are three common rule sets to determine this:

* '''Simplified''': The dealer button moves to the next active player on the left, and the small and big blinds are paid by the first and second players remaining to the left. This is the easiest to track and always rotates the button, but results in "missed blinds". For instance, a player "under the gun" when the player in the big blind busts out ends up paying the small blind; they have "missed" the big blind they would have paid had the leaving player remained in the game. Similarly, a player in the small blind who busts out means the player in the big blind gets the button, missing the small blind.
**In the special case of three players in a tournament being reduced to the two-player showdown, any leftover blinds from other rules are "written off" and the Simplified method is used, with the player "on the button" paying the small blind.
* '''Moving button''': As in Simplified, the button moves to the left to the next active player, and the blinds move to the next two active players. However, any "missed blinds" are paid by the player whom they skipped as if they were due for the upcoming hand, with one blind paid per player, per hand, biggest blind first. Any blind a player misses on a given hand because a bigger blind was due will be paid by the player in the following hand. This is the most complex ruleset to implement, especially if multiple players leave,  but it is the fairest method overall in terms of paying all due blinds and rotating last action.
* '''Dead button''': Spots vacated by leaving players who would pay the small blind or get the button during the next hand remain open for the purposes of shifting blinds and button. Thus, the small blind may not be paid in the subsequent hand if the player due to pay the small blind has vacated the spot and, therefore, is considered "dead". However, there is always a big blind even if the spot is vacated by the player who is due to pay the big blind; in such case, the player seated to the left of the vacated spot pays the big blind.  When the dealer button moves to an empty seat, it also is considered "dead", and the last active player before the empty seat retains the "privilege of last action" by default. While simple in tournament formats and the most equitable in terms of paying blinds as due and when normally expected, it can result in inequitable strategic situations regarding last action, and becomes harder to track if the table is "open" (players can come and go) as in a casino.

In tournaments, the ''dead button'' and ''moving button'' rules are common (replacement players are generally not a part of tournaments). Online cash games generally use the ''simplified moving button'' as other methods are more difficult to codify and can be abused by players constantly entering and leaving.

Casino card rooms where players can come and go can use any of the three rulesets, though ''moving button'' is most common. When a player immediately takes the place of a player who leaves, the player may have the option to either pay the blinds in the leaving player's stead, in which case play continues as if the player never left, or to "sit out" until the button has moved past them, and thus the chair is effectively empty for purposes of the blinds. Many card rooms do not allow new players to sit out as it is highly advantageous for the new player, both to watch one or more hands without obligation to play, and to enter the game in a very "late" position (on their first hand they see all other player's actions except the dealer's). For these reasons, new players must often post a "live" big blind to enter regardless of their position at the table.

====When there are only two players====
The normal rules for positioning the blinds do not apply when there are only two players at the table.  The player on the button is always due the small blind, and the other player must pay the big blind.  The player on the button is therefore the first to act before the flop, but last to act for all remaining betting rounds.

A special rule is also applied for placement of the button whenever the size of the table shrinks to two players.  If three or more players are involved in a hand, and at the conclusion of the hand one or more players have busted out such that only two players remain for the next hand, the position of the button may need to be adjusted to begin heads-up play.  The big blind always continues moving, and then the button is positioned accordingly.

For example, in a three-handed game, Alice is the button, Dianne is the small blind, and Carol is the big blind.  If Alice busts out, the next hand Dianne will be the big blind, and the button will skip past Dianne and move to Carol.  On the other hand, if Carol busts out, Alice will be the big blind, Dianne will get the button and will have to pay the small blind for the second hand in a row.

===Kill blind===
{{main|Kill game}}
A '''kill blind''' is a special blind bet made by a player who triggers the kill in a ''kill game''. It is often twice the amount of the big blind or minimum bet (known as a full kill), but can be 1.5 times the big blind (a half-kill) or any other amount according to house rules. This blind is "live"; the player posting it normally acts last in the opening round (after the other blinds, regardless of relative position at the table), and other players must call the amount of the kill blind to play. As any player can trigger a kill, there is the possibility that the player must post a kill blind when they are already due to pay one of the other blinds. Rules vary on how this is handled.

===Bring-in===
A bring-in is a type of forced bet that occurs after the cards are initially dealt, but before any other action.  One player, usually chosen by the value of cards dealt face up on the initial deal, is forced to open the betting by some small amount, after which players act after them in normal rotation. Because of this random first action, bring-ins are usually used in games with an ante instead of structured blind bets.

The bring-in is normally assigned on the first betting round of a [[stud poker]] game to the player whose upcards indicate the poorest hand.  For example, in traditional [[high hand (poker)|high hand]] stud games and [[high-low split]] games, the player showing the lowest card pays the bring-in.  In [[low hand (poker)|low hand]] games, the player with the highest card showing pays the bring-in.  The [[high card by suit]] order can be used to break ties, but more often the person closest to the dealer in order of rotation pays the bring-in.

In most fixed-limit and some spread-limit games, the bring-in amount is less than the normal betting minimum (often half of this minimum).  The player forced to pay the bring-in may choose either to pay only what is required (in which case it functions similarly to a small blind) or to make a normal bet.  Players acting after a sub-minimum bring-in have the right to call the bring-in as it is, even though it is less than the amount they would be required to bet, or they may raise the amount needed to bring the current bet up to the normal minimum, called '''completing''' the bet.  For example, a game with a $5 fixed bet on the first round might have a bring-in of $2.  Players acting after the bring-in can either call the $2, or increase it to $5, which would count as a normal bet, not a raise.  After the bet is completed to $5, the first raise must be to $10 in accordance with the normal limits.

In a game where the bring-in is equal to the fixed bet (this is rare and not recommended), the game must either allow the bring-in player to optionally come in for a raise, or else the bring-in must be treated as [[Poker jargon#live|live]] in the same way as a blind, so that the player is guaranteed their right to raise on the first betting round (the "option") if all other players call.

===Post===
Some cash games, especially with blinds, require a new player to '''post''' when joining a game already in progress.  Posting in this context means putting an amount equal to the big blind or the minimum bet into the pot before the deal. This amount is also called a "dead blind". The post is a "live" bet, meaning that the amount can be applied towards a call or raise when it is the player's turn to act. If the player is not facing a raise when the action gets to them, they may also "check their option" as if they were in the big blind.

A player who is away from their seat and misses one or more blinds is also required to post to reenter the game.  In this case, the amount to be posted is the amount of the big or small blind, or both, at the time the player missed them.  If both must be posted immediately upon return, the big blind amount is "live", but the small blind amount is "dead", meaning that it cannot be considered in determining a call or raise amount by that player. Some house rules allow posting one blind per hand, largest first, meaning all posts of missed blinds are live.

Posting is usually not required if the player who would otherwise post happens to be in the big blind. This is because the advantage that would otherwise be gained by missing the blind, that of playing several hands before having to pay blinds, is not the case in this situation. It is therefore common for a new player to [[Poker jargon#lock up|lock up]] a seat and then wait several hands before joining a table, or for a returning player to sit out several hands until the big blind comes back around, so that they may enter in the big blind and avoid paying the post. For this same reason, only one set of missed blinds can be accumulated by the player; old missed blinds are removed when the big blind returns to that player's seat because the player was never in any position to gain from missing the blinds.

In [[online poker]] it is common for the post to be equal in size to a big blind and to be live, just like the big blind. This can create a tactical advantage for the player if they choose not to play during the time they would otherwise spend in the blind in [[Poker jargon#full ring|full ring]] games.