Using ante's in NL Hold'em

[pho75]

What are your opinions regarding the use on ante's instead of blinds in both Limit and NL hold'em in a small home game (1$ ante's)? I see both positive and negitive aspects.

Positive:
-simple
-people can sit out (bathroom/beer) without waiting to come back in or posting another blind.
-works well in dealers choice

Negative:
-different game that the rest of the world plays.
-The nuances that are learned about this structure cannot be applied anywhere else.
-I seems like it would be less interesting, more homogeneous.

1. Given a $1 ante NL hold'em game with 6 players. What would be the equivalent normal game using blinds? Six dollars in the middle before you start. So would that be like a $2/$4 game?

2. How do you think the game would change with antes? Would it get tighter or looser? More/less raising preflop?

3. Why do we play hold'em with blinds anyway? Is that just something the casinos thought up to stimutate the action.

4. Would you want to play in a home game with ante's?