The Blinds
The many of the most widely played poker games today (Texas Hold’em and Omaha) are played with a blind structure. Blinds are forced bets that are put in the pot before the hand is dealt. Blinds stimulate the action by beginning the hand with some money in the pot.
It has become the standard to have two blinds (big and small) in most games. It is also becoming the standard to have the first player after the dealer place the small blind of ½ the full bet and the next player place the big blind of one full bet. So if you are playing in tournament and the blinds are 25/50, the small blind is 25 and the big blind is 50. Any other player entering the pot will have to bet at least 50. The small blind will be able to play the hand, if there are no raisers, for only another 25 and the big blind, also in an unraised pot, is “already in.”
There are two very important things about playing from the blinds that every new player must consider. These are simply but often overlooked.
The first is how the action goes in the various betting rounds. Because the blinds are put in pre-flop, the first player to act will be the player immediately to the big blinds left and then around the table. This means the blinds get to act last in the first round of betting. Some consider this the advantage of the blinds to compensate for the forced bet. However, you must remember that in all subsequent rounds the blinds will act first, a distinct disadvantage in those betting rounds.
Second and this is the one most new players do not consider; most players are net losers out of the blind positions. If you just think about it, this makes perfect sense. Twice each round you have to bet before you see your cards. The odds are that you would not have put any money in the pot with these hands had you seen them first. One important strategy in the blinds is to minimize your losses. Don’t chase a pot from the blinds just because you already have money committed in the blinds.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #13
