Antes are similar to the blinds in that they are forced bets placed before the start of each hand. Antes are more common in tournament poker, but some cash games have antes in play, too. Unlike the blinds, everyone at the table pays the ante when they are in play.

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.