A forced bet is a sum of money all players, or particular players, are required to put in the pot. This is not a voluntary action and the player must put the money in. The most common forced bet is the ante which applies to every player and is done before the hand starts. The two other common types are the blind and bring-in which apply only to specific players.

Forced bets improve the pot odds for a player. This tends to mean that more hands are played than if no forced bets had been used. The cyclic, or player specific, forced bets further give those specific players improve pot odds, thus encouraging them to play the hands. This encouragement to play increases the action in a game and tends to discourage players from being ultra tight.

Blinds and bring-ins also vary the first round play by requiring players to either call, raise, or fold. Only one player has the option to check. This tends to reduce family pots.