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Poker Glossary

What is a "blind"?

A "Blind" in poker is a bet that the players are required to make prior to seeing their cards. Usually the blinds are a part of the players' bets. However, in certain situations blinds will be declared "dead", and they won't become part of the bet.

A "Big Blind" is the highest sum bet, and a "Small Blind" the lowest. The player sitting on the immediate left of the button will need to make a small blind, and the player sitting on his or her left will make the big blind. The player sitting on the left of the player who posted the small blind will open the first betting round. The betting rounds to follow will always start with the player sitting on the left of the button.

Blinds and bets

The big blind is considered that player's opening bet, which he may raise text time it's his turn.

The player who posted a blind has the right to raise the pot at first action. This does not include dead blinds.

In a heads-up situation, when there are only two players remaining in the game, the player who is the small blind will also be the button.

Starting or joining a new game

When a new poker game begins, there are several rules regarding usage of blinds.

1. Once a player drew for the button he is considered to be an active participant of the game. This means that he is required to post blinds, and will have to make up he misses any blinds.

2. A new player must post a blind once the button has completed a whole round. However, if a blind has passed his seat he should post it.

3. A player is allowed to change seats and move to a new seat only if the blind has yet to have passed the seat.

If a player wants to join a table which uses blinds, he has two options.

1. Wait until it is his turn to be the big blind and join in.

2. Put in the pot a sum equivalent to the big blind, and join the game straight away. In a game of lowball, the rule is a bit different, and the player needs to put a sum double the size of the big blind in order to join a game.

If a new player decides to join the game by waiting for the blind and he misses it when it goes round, it is not considered a miss and therefore the rules that apply to players who have missed a blind do not apply to him.

These rules of joining a game apply also to a person is "playing over", meaning a player who is playing in a seat of someone else who is absent.

Changing seats

In a game of multiple blinds, a player that changed his seat will be dealt a hand according to the new position which he chose. For example, a player who moved two seats away from the big blind will be dealt in after two hands are done. If he does not wish to wait he can post an amount equivalent to the big blind (assuming he has not missed a blind). A player who moves closer to the big blind will not have to wait at all before being dealt a hand.

A player is allowed to "deal off", meaning to change his seat immediately after playing the button. If he does this he can have the blinds pass his seat one time and then rejoin the game, without being obligated to make up that blind.

Between the big blind and the button there shall not be other blinds or a new player's seat.

Missing a blind

If a player misses out on blinds, he may either post the missing blinds or wait for the big blind and then join the game. In both cases he will have the option of raising in his next action.

In a situation where the dealer gave out cards to a player who missed a blind and has not posted it yet

A - If he looked at the hand but has not taken action yet, the hand is dead.
B - If he looked at the hand and has taken action, the hand is live.

If a player goes all-in, meaning that he put all his money in the pot, and loses, he must post those blinds that he had missed before a rebuy is made. Upon rejoining the game, that player will not be considered a new player.

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