YOUR NEW FRIEND, BBA

Players in Day 1A @HPTPoker $1,100 Main Event @AmeristarVI are on their first 15-minute break of the day. When they return, the newest best-friend of most tournament poker players enters the arena.

Folks, meet Big Blind Ante.

Starting with Level 4 and continuing for the rest of the event, one player posts an ante equal to the Big Blind (thus the name BBA/Big Blind Ante) at the beginning of each hand .. just one .. only one.

So far, at all the tournaments I've been at with BBA, players love this format (with the rare exception of an Allen Kessler or a John Richards), not needing to have dealers keep making change and constantly reminding those watching Hulu on their iPad that it is, once again, time to ante-up.

Here at the HPT, the amount of the blind reduces to the Small Blind when the final table is down to 5 players remaining.

BB Ante - 200
Blinds - 100/200
Entries - 57

-- Dan Ross, Hold'em Live Updates