Cash games with Antes - How to adjust

Within the last couple of weeks both Full Tilt and UltimateBet have introduced antes into their cash game offerings.  This is something I have been pushing for literally for years.  With the advent of poker software players are savvier and frankly the games can be tight at times.  The introduction of antes essentially takes away the "nit" factor where players only play premium hands, multiple tables and most of their profit comes from rakeback.  Which is all fine but if you are looking for action games without antes are not going to provide that for you and ultimately could chase away the real gamblers.

How antes change the game

To create action in a poker game you need antes, the bigger the antes the more money there is to fight over.  The small blind and big blind are antes (though no one thinks of them in that way any longer), these new games take an additional amount from each player and since it happens online the player is not inconvenienced.  When you are putting out more bets it is incumbent upon you to protect more of those bets thereby creating action.  The more people that stay in pots creates a desirable effect because more people will join and post flop play becomes more important.

The biggest keys to winning with antes

Simply put is being able to dig out of a hole and play out of position.  If you are uncomfortable playing out of position you will stand little chance in an ante game.

A few tactics to get you started

1.    When you are betting in position (cutoff or button) do not bet pot, you already have position and it is not uncommon for you to get re-raised from the small blind or big blind (I call this the "shot across the bow" play).  If you raise 2.5 times or 3 times the BB then you should be able to call with weaker holdings like middle connectors or even a suited Q 10.  Be aware though that you will have to play poker with these types of hands and that includes making some plays without having the hand.

2.    If someone is betting the pot from the button overbet the pot from the small blind or big blind, this should not only be a play for your opponents to make but you should make it as well.  What you are trying to establish is a way to see more flops and win uncontested pots.  That said you need to be willing to gamble and if that makes you uncomfortable then ante games are not for you.

3.    Check raise liberally, this is a version of number two and this will set up the times that you actually get a hand.  In position players are going to raise more liberally so you need to set them back on their heals otherwise you stand no chance of winning.

4.    Call more.  With less money on the pot to fight over you should play more aggressively, the opposite is true when more money is in the pot.  Poker is a game of deception so if you can throw your opponents off by playing slower than do that.  I foresee a lot of opportunities against overly aggressive opponents in these games. Right now Full Tilt only has the antes on their high limits games and UlimateBet does not have them on Pot Limit Omaha games (though they do have them on lower limit no limit holdem games).  I would expect all of this to change soon.  Once I have some hand examples I will share and talk through some of my thoughts.

3 responses to Cash games with Antes - How to adjust

Jimmy
Sunday, August 30, 2009

Will PokerStars later add ante tables for ring games? It sounds interesting.

krazyjohnny
Thursday, August 27, 2009

I hope these ante cash games don't catch on in live cardrooms soon. The smallest limit where I live available is 1/3NL, I can barely afford that. Antes will make the game no longer affordable. And because of the difficulty of withdrawing, I no longer play poker online,so this will make it impossible for me to play at all. Because of work, I rarely get to play as it is, so I can never play enough to build a sufficient bankroll. Are All the cash games at full tilt going to antes, or do you have a choice??

advertising agency sydney
Sunday, May 24, 2009

Interesting. thanks for the insights. I will add this to my favourites and come back to check out your updates. very cool

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