Various Ways Casinos Take Their Share Of The Pot

Like every other business, casinos are in it to make money. In games such as poker where the pot goes to the player with the winning hand rather than the house, casinos are ensured revenue through the rake. By requiring certain players to put some money into the pot each round, it also guarantees action in the game and that it will not simply result in one which everyone folds every hand. There are 4 primary methods of enforcing “mandatory costs” in poker: antes, bring-ins, blinds, and time.

Antes:

Typically found in stud games, and late stages of tournament games where blinds may not be present; antes are often chips which each player must contribute to the pot before the round begins. The chips are placed in the middle of the table along with the rest of the pot- adding to the total amount of the pot to be won.

Bring-ins:

A bring-in is often a forced bet at the start of a non-flop game, based upon having the lowest or highest up card. Poker games which use antes also tend to start the betting with a bring-in, in these scenarios the player with the worst card is responsible for the bring-in. This player may either do so for the minimum amount, or they may complete the bet; this bring-in becomes live and is meant to count towards the amount required to call if there is subsequent completion or raise.

Blinds:

Blinds are bets in “community based” or “board games” such as Hold ‘em that are made by the two players sitting directly to the dealer's left. Because all betting occurs before any cards are see, there is no way to have a bring-in. The solution to this problem is to force two players in each hand to put money in the pot “blind,” that is, before they see their cards. The player immediately to the left of the button must put up half the small bet, and the next person must put up a full small bet. As an example, if the game is $10–$20 Hold ’em, the first two rounds of betting are in $10 increments and the second two are in $20 increments, the “small” blind must put $5 in before the cards are dealt, while the next person with the “big” blind, must put $10 in. To stay in, all other players must also put in at least the $10 the big blind. Unlike an ante, which is “dead money” in the center, these blinds are “live” and count toward the total obligation for a player to stay in. If there is no raise to the big blind’s $10, the little blind must only put in $5 more to stay in.

Time:

As an alternative to taking revenue through the rake (a percentage of each pot), a card room can use time to generate its income. Each player essentially pays specified amount of “rent” for the seat at preset time intervals. Paying time generally starts at the $10–$20 level and replaces the rake. This is very uncommon in online rooms while in brick-and-mortar (offline) card rooms, this can often be used by a room to predetermine revenue.

Despite the method chosen by card rooms and casinos to generate revenue, knowing how they are can often be used in your favor. Since all players are required to add to the pot to stay in action, many poker strategies often include "stealing" blinds from other players as a way increase their bankroll. To develop a stronger offensive as well as defensive strategy in poker, you must know how every intricate detail can be incorporated into building your bankroll. Never under estimate the value of winning mandatory contributions from other players, or else you also under estimate the consequences of losing them as well.