How do blinds work in poker?
If you’ve ever played poker, or even simply watched other people play, you might have come across the terms ‘big blind’ and ‘small blind’. Collectively, these are known as ‘the blinds’. They are an important part of many different variations of poker, including Omaha and Texas hold’em, among others. But what exactly are poker blinds? How does the blind work in poker?
Poker blinds are mandatory bets placed at the top of a round of poker. Note that, preferably, this translates to bets made before any cards are dealt. They serve as catalysts for the game, starting off the money pot and initiating betting action.
There are two different kinds of blinds in poker:
- Small blind
- Big blind
Understanding the difference between the two is crucial to your success as a poker player. The small blind refers to the player sitting to the immediate left of the button. They must bet a small wager, usually half the minimum bet for the hand in question. The big blind refers to the player sitting to the left of the small blind. Big blind players are required to wager a larger amount than small blind pairs. In general, this bet is around 2x the small blind.
The small blind and big blind in poker are important for a few different reasons. First, they keep the gaming flowing by breaking the ice and encouraging players to bet. Blinds also add a reliable betting structure for players to anticipate, something that can help players form their playing strategy. They also help balance the table dynamics, ensuring that all players have the same advantages (or disadvantages) throughout the game. While blinds are usually posted at the beginning of the round, incoming players late to the game are required to bet after the button makes a complete rotation.
How does the small blind work in poker?
The small blind refers to players who are seated directly to the left of the dealer button. Their compulsory wager is less than the big blind and is typically valued at half the size of the table’s minimum bet. The pot size determines how much the little blind poker player’s forced bet is, in other words, with smaller pots being more advantageous (at the cost of lowering overall win potential).
In live casino games, the small blind’s wager is placed at the top of the round before any cards have been dealt. If players miss this for some reason, they can sometimes ‘make up’ the wager when the button rolls back around to them. At that point, the player must post both the big blind and small blind bets before they are dealt any cards.
How does the big blind work in poker?
The big blind poker wager is the mandatory bet required from the player sitting two places to the left of the button (or dealer). Big blind bets are typically twice as large as small blind bets. This means that players in the big blind seat usually post the minimum bet required for the table.
The rules described above for the small blind, as well as how the pot dictates the overall size of blind bets, also apply to the big blind.
Starting small and big blinds for different pots
Starting big and small blinds for different pots doesn’t have to be a mystery. There are average numbers that can help you get a feel for the requirements. In a six-player game with no re-entries and a starting stack of 10,000, the small blind and big blind amounts look like this for the first few rounds:
<table>
<tr>
<th>Level</th>
<th>Small Blind</th>
<th>Big Blind</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>80</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>140</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>125</td>
<td>250</td>
</tr>
</table>
Strategies to beat the blind
Betting on the hand before you are able to examine your hand is a big disadvantage. As you might imagine, blind bets typically result in a loss in the long term. This is why strategy is so important. There are a number of different factors that impact blind strategy, and not all strategies will work for every table or hand. With the right approach, players can help minimise their losses in both the short term and the long term.
Some of the most popular blind betting strategies include:
- Stealing from the small blind
- Defending the big blind
- Check-raising aggressively
- Avoiding donk betting
Stealing from the small blind is possibly the top method for minimising your losses in the small blind position. More specifically, stealing dead money at a high percentage takes advantage of players who over-fold their big blinds. This is even more profitable in games where antes are played.
Defending the big blind is an effective approach to work against the first strategy we discussed. Stealing from the small blind hinges on players folding too often on big blind bets, so playing the hand a bit longer can often help minimise the damage. Finding a balance between aggressive and passive betting is important here. Otherwise, you might end up losing more money than by simply folding.
Yet another tried-and-tested method to help minimise blind losses is to use a structured check-raising range that favours aggressive betting over passive plays. There are a few reasons why check-raising is an effective strategy. First, it pressures marginal hands and bluffs to fold. Second, it encourages many players to play their value-bet ranges as bluff-catchers. Note that this strategy is most effective in games with a variety of turn cards.
Avoiding donk betting from players in the big or little blinds’ seats is another effective strategy. ‘Donk betting’ refers to situations where the pre-flop caller moves into the pre-flop aggressor. This is disadvantageous for blind players for a few reasons. The most important of these is that the pre-flop caller already has a range disadvantage – donk betting increases it.
Are you ready to get started with blind betting in your own poker game? Keep our tips and strategies in mind, and you’ll feel like an expert in no time.