Was discussing last night about the big blind ante. does the BB ante make a difference to your strategy?

I was making the point it shouldn't since the money is not yours essentially its put in the pot. however I do think it makes a difference to how we play UTG sometimes since we will have to put in more from the BB and may want to shove a short stack UTG to try avoid this

another friend was making there point of having to call wider since you put more in from the BB

has anyone else got an opinion on this

Makes no difference to correct BB calling ranges

Makes some (but usually negligible) difference to UTG strat based on FGS cost of playing next 2-3 hands cf traditional icm calculation

BB ante is just the antes that would normally be paid by all players in the structure being paid by the BB. As far as I know, this is only done in live games and is done to speed things up -- the dealer doesn't ahve to gather antes from the whole table.

I think, therefore, that the BB ante affects the game the same way the ante does. It induces more action by making steals more attractive, and by improving pot odds to call or defend.

As OS pointed out, I think the FGS implications ar emarginal -- especially because the alternative is not no ante, but a smaller ante paid by every player, every hand.

The BB Ante is fine in the live tournament's early stages of the tournament but once you are at the Final Table, I have a problem. For example, the BB Ante does not adjust when there are fewer than 9-10 players, i.e 3 handed BB is paying the BB plus 9-10 antes. This certainly forces more action than the original way of each player paying their own ante. The argument that it is the same as the original way just doesn't hold water. It hurts the short stacks tremendously.

When Heads Up, do you really even need a BB Ante as the Final Two will play almost every hand anyway.

The original argument was a convenience for the Dealer. Ok, then when Heads Up, remove the Ante altogether... I contend the BB Ante HURTS Heads Up play when a player gets short stacked they are forced to Shove much sooner, so it is not the same.

In a large tournament I'd like to see at the Final Table they go back to each player antes so the short stacks can have a better chance at making a comeback. If a SS is the BB, they only win the SB and not the antes because the BB pays the BB Antes and not the players.

I responded in your other thread why your view on BB ante is wrong. It doesn't effect short stack play nearly as much as you think.

For OP, its doesn't effect shoving ranges except in the most extreme ICM spots from EP. It doesn't effect bb calling AT ALL, stop going to that friend for poker advice he doesn't have a clue. The big blind ante isn't a live blind that alters your pot odds when calling, its dead money that is the same as a normal ante taken from everyone.

If anything its great for the game, because clearly recs dont understand it and feel the need to defend their BB ante, and not just the blind itself.

Not sure what tournaments you have been playing in but in all the ones I have done when you get to 5 handed the BB ante halves.

WPT, WSOP, WSOP-C, WSOP-C International...

The announcers/commentators should also divide by 50% the number of big blinds players have. If the BB has to pay 20k + 20k =40k and their stack is 200k the BB really only has 5BB's... Right???

Current structure IMO forces more/sooner action by the short stacks as older Ante structure 10BB's you really had some time before forcing your play. At current BBA you really have 5BB so you gotta jam much sooner.

that is if you pretend you are not posting an ante on every single hand in an old structure. a whole "zomg i must pay an extra bb next hand, better jam" actually works in your favour with a bb ante given you've not posted that bb already over the previous n-1 hands on an n-handed table, and have a bigger stack to shove

If you redraw for final table seats and you're very short stack and you happen to draw the BB seat, then you are somewhat penalized.

But that's a specific example. In general, it probably cancels off.