Why need antes when we have blinds
 

Several round into WSOP, there will be antes and blinds, which basically means everyone pays one extra BB every turn. Just want to know what kind of things that antes can achieve while blinds can't?

Re: Why need antes when we have blinds
 

It makes stealing a lot more worthwhile (there's about 3BB of forced money in the pot at a 9-handed table rather than 1.5) and also quickens the pace of the action -- short stacks just can't be as tight as they could at stages w/o the antes, and with less people at the tourney by the time antes are put into play, the field is going to narrow down a lot more slowly, especially w/o antes.

Re: Why need antes when we have blinds
 

Antes generally kick in after several levels in a tournament. Antes and blinds build bigger preflop pots and create more action as people try to pick up dead money.

Re: Why need antes when we have blinds
 

The tourney has to end eventually.

Re: Why need antes when we have blinds
 

Is the OP asking for a comparison of an opening pot of 4500 chips made up of, say, 1500 from the small blind and 3000 from the big blind, versus an opening pot of 4500 chips made up of 1000 from the small blind, 2000 from the big blind, and 1500 combined from ten players contributing 150 each? (Forgive the slightly off numbers for the sake of simplicity.)

I guess in theory, the bigger pot could be made up of bigger blinds alone, but I think the ante is used to build the pot because it induces action in two ways - it makes for a bigger pot, and i forces a contribution every hand, rather than just when it's your turn to post the blinds.