Forced Bet Review

What Is a Forced Bet ?

The Forced Bet is the term for the mandatory bet placed before a card is dealt. Examples of Forced Bets include Ante and Blind Bets. In some cases they are made due to the player’s position at the table, as a result of a high-card-showdown or when in a deal the players draw. However, you won’t find more than one or two players playing Forced Bets in most games.

Forced Bet Explained

Before the card is dealt it is necessary to form a ‘poker pot’, which is created using a Forced Bet. For instance, in order to create an Ante Bet, it is necessary for all players to make a Forced Bet if they are to be allotted cards to participate in the game. It is the forced bets that serve as the pot upon which subsequent bets are progressively made.

Forced bets also refer to blinds, big and small, posted by players before starting to deal. Once a player is in possession of the blind button, seated in a particular position from the dealer, he must stake a bet to play. As the game continues, the task to post the blinds will move from player to player around the table.

Some games require players to place Forced Bets before they deal in, to open the play. Each player is seated according to the draw seats or as arranged, and will need to post a starting bet to commence the round. As the game progresses more bets could follow while other players may decide to confirm their turn pending the first move.

The rule of gaming allows casinos to take a cut from forced bets, this is a game hosting fee called the rake or collection. The casinos cut from forced bets is required due to poker’s lack of ‘house edge’ and dealer involvement making it a free game at a cost to the casino except the cut retained from the pot.