I recently did an article of how Poker Blinds Cost Money in the Long Run and this article is really no different.  You can almost consider it as the 2^nd half to my other article.  When dealing with multi table tournaments a player must pay attention to the blind structure of the tournament.  By looking at the structure a player can evaluate how he wants to play that certain tournament.  If the levels are long and the blinds/antes don't increase at a fast rate then players at the table can afford to sit around and pick their spots.  But if the tournament is say a ‘turbo' then a player might start to open up his range a little more in order to keep up with blinds increasing.

First I am going to discuss tournaments that have blinds and antes, which is almost every tournament you play online.  Then I will discuss a little on the tournaments where antes don't come into play and the only thing bringing down your stack will be the blinds.  Antes were put in tournaments to create action and that is pretty much the gist of it.  Without antes players are given the opportunity to wait on hands more freely while tournaments with antes force people into pots.

For instance say we are playing the $34,000 Guarantee on Full Tilt Poker and we are at the level of 400/800.  At this level of the tournaments the antes are already 100 chips so that means every hand you see will cost you a 100 chips.  Let's say you're a tight player, you only play quality starting hands and yet the only hands you are getting are garbage hands.  Every orbit you throwing away 900 chips in antes not to mention the big and small blinds when it comes around to you.  At this rate your chip stack is going to decrease at fast a rate so with these blinds/antes players must be willing to open more pots in an effort to take down more pots.  If you want to win a poker tournament you have to be willing to take chances and antes will ultimately force you to do so.

Now let's say you are playing a 45 man SnG/MTT once again on Full Tilt Poker.  In these tournaments players don't have to worry about the antes coming into play because there are none.  The players get the luxury of just having to worry about the blinds so in a sense it gives the players more time to play the hands they choose.  For example, like the 34K Guarantee we were just talking about, the blinds are 400/800 in our 45 man tournament.   The only difference is antes are not in play so players don't have to fork over 100 chips every hand to their cards.  With that being said players are savings themselves roughly 900 chips (depending how many players are on the table) for every orbit that goes around.  If you're saving 900 chips every orbit and blinds are 400/800 than it's almost like you are saving yourself another big blind.  For this reason players can wait a little longer when it comes to tournaments without antes.

Blinds and antes force the action of tournament poker so players understand the blind structure before entering the tournament.  Pay attention to your stack and the blind level.  Don't be afraid to splash some chips around otherwise the blinds and antes will take them for you.