Button Ante v BB Ante (Live)

[muttley]

I played my first BB Ante Tourney at the weekend, having already played a couple of Button Ante Tourneys. First off, I'd like to say that I prefer both formats to the individual ante tourneys, but I wondered what everyone's preference was?

I'll post my thoughts later.

 

For anyone who doesn't play live much, the tourneys are for when one person posts the antes for the entire table. So if blinds were 100/200, typically one player would post an extra 200 as the ante. In a BTN Ante Tourney, that would be the BTN and in the BB Ante Tourney the BB would post 400 (200+200).

[Danshot]

I personally think a Big Blind ante works better as there always has to be a big blind but there are situations that lead to a dead button 

[muttley]

2 hours ago, Danshot said:

I personally think a Big Blind ante works better as there always has to be a big blind but there are situations that lead to a dead button 

Yeah. And that's a fair point.

 

I prefer the button ante though. My reason is that it's possible to have to post your "double big blind" on consecutive hands ( assuming your table breaks and you're moved straight into the BB). If you're short stacked that could be very costly. In fact it could screw up your tournament.

Having a dead button, and subsequently one hand with no ante, is slightly annoying if you win the hand, but not likely to affect anyone much.

[ian309]

I've played several Button Ante tourneys and I love them, so much more efficient than individual antes. I've not played a BB Ante tourney yet but I don't like the theory behind it... I reckon the BB would feel inclined to defend too light OOP, especially in the latter stages of the tourney.

[muttley]

13 minutes ago, ian309 said:

. I reckon the BB would feel inclined to defend too light OOP, especially in the latter stages of the tourney.

Psychologically, yes, but in theory it shouldn't make any difference to your BB defending strategy.

There may be a need to change strategy when short stacked though.

I've played a few BTN Ante Tourney's, and have concluded that the short stack theory (push/fold) is no different to a normal ante tourney, or if it is different, it's a small difference.

BB Ante strategy may have to be tinkered a little, and not in a good way.

Say your in a tourney and short stacked (11bb), and looking for 2 cards to shove. The blinds are approaching and you're being dealt junk. Once your UTG I reckon you need to widen your open shoving range due to the fact you will be posting 2bb on the next hand. I would shove some junky hands here, J7o, T8o etc, which would be folds in a BTN Tourney. Of course, in a BTN Tourney that means I have to hope for a better hand before the BTN hits

It's very subtle, but there is a difference, I'm sure.

[Danshot]

11 minutes ago, muttley said:

Psychologically, yes, but in theory it shouldn't make any difference to your BB defending strategy.

There may be a need to change strategy when short stacked though.

I've played a few BTN Ante Tourney's, and have concluded that the short stack theory (push/fold) is no different to a normal ante tourney, or if it is different, it's a small difference.

BB Ante strategy may have to be tinkered a little, and not in a good way.

Say your in a tourney and short stacked (11bb), and looking for 2 cards to shove. The blinds are approaching and you're being dealt junk. Once your UTG I reckon you need to widen your open shoving range due to the fact you will be posting 2bb on the next hand. I would shove some junky hands here, J7o, T8o etc, which would be folds in a BTN Tourney. Of course, in a BTN Tourney that means I have to hope for a better hand before the BTN hits

It's very subtle, but there is a difference, I'm sure.

You are still paying the same amount of chips per orbit I think you might be over adjusting your UTG shoving range a bit too much , after it posted you then have an extra hand where not posting anything don't forget that 

[muttley]

Like I said, the difference is subtle.

A few years ago I was in a GUKPT event and had to post the BB 3 times in 4 hands. I had a decent stack, so it didn't matter much. Had I been short and the tourney had been a BB ante tourney, it would have been terrible for me.