What is Blinds?
Blinds are forced bets posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button in games such as Texas hold'em, ensuring there is money in every pot.
The small blind is usually half the big blind. In a £1/£2 game, one player posts £1 and the next £2 before cards are dealt. The positions rotate clockwise each hand so every player pays in turn.
In tournaments, blinds increase at set intervals to force action and shorten the event. Many tournaments also use antes, small forced bets from every player or a single big blind ante, to build larger pots.
Stakes in cash games are described by their blind levels, which is the usual way poker coverage indicates the size of a game. Players who join a cash game mid-session are often required to post a blind before receiving cards. Tournament structure sheets list blind levels and their duration, which shapes how long an event lasts and how much skill can influence results. Faster structures, called turbos, raise the blinds more frequently.