Noun

Any wager that is required in order to begin game play, such as an ante, blind, or bring in.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Because forced bets make each hand cost some amount of money or chips to play, they provide a disincentive to simply folding until one has the perfect hand. In limit games, the forced bet is typically no larger than one-half the size of the lowest limit.

EXAMPLE: "I prefer games with an ante to games with other kinds of forced bets. I like having a lot of players in each hand and there tends to be a lot of players who fold when they have medicore cards but haven't put in any bet yet. Those same players would often put more into the pot if they had already made an initial contribution."

APPLIES TO: Online and Land-based Venues