Big Blind Ante
A big blind ante is a way of collecting antes in which the big blind pays the ante for the whole table.
The simple explanation
Instead of every player putting in a small ante each hand, only the player in the big blind pays an ante for the whole table. The amount equals the sum of all the individual antes. It is simply a faster way to collect the same money.
A closer look
The method removes the work of collecting antes from nine or ten players and the arguments over who has paid. It first appeared at the World Series of Poker in 2018 and has since become the standard in many tournaments. For strategy, the effect is that the big blind posts a large amount and every other player enters the hand at the usual price, so the pot is bigger when it is the big blind's turn to defend.
A practical example
At a nine-player table the antes are 1,000 each. Instead of nine players paying 1,000, the big blind posts 9,000 on behalf of everyone.
Full explanation
A big blind ante is a way of collecting antes in which the big blind pays the ante for the whole table.
A big blind ante is a way of collecting antes in which the player in the big blind position pays the ante for the entire table. It is a newer method that replaced paying the ante player by player.
The reason is efficiency. Dealers no longer need to remind players or check who has shorted the pot, and the game runs faster and with fewer mistakes.
The big blind ante first appeared at the World Series of Poker in 2018 and is now normal in many tournaments.
The total money in the pot is the same as with a regular ante. What changes is who pays it: one player per hand, with the role moving round the table with the button.
Alternative spelling: BBA