1. Poker Blind Rules
2. Poker Tournament Blind Rules
3. Blind Baseball Poker Rules

Mark Poker Articles, Poker Rules

1. Betting Rules Many of the world's most popular poker variants use a system involving a button, small blind, and big blind. The blinds function as obligatory bets that rotate around the table, shifting one player clockwise after each hand. The button travels around the table in this same manner, always one position to the right of the small blind.
2. In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15.

To see all of our articles on poker rules and advice, go to our main article on How To Play Poker. Some Poker Basics are essential before you sit down at the card table. For a more complicated version of hold 'em, learn How to Play Omaha Poker. Get to know the previous 'most popular game in poker', in How to Play 7-Card Stud Poker. Home poker may be more relaxed than playing at a casino, but you still need to know how to set blinds and limits, suggest starting stacks, and follow the rules.

Poker Blind Rules

This article is a part of the Poker Rules series.

Step 3: The Texas Hold’em No Limit Gameplay:

In my previous post in this series I described the different Texas Hold’em hands and how they rank against each other. We are now ready to move on to the actual Texas Hold’em game and how it’s played. In Texas Hold’em two players – the Big Blind and the Small Blind – are required to place bets (known as blinds) in the pot (the amount of money to be won in any single completed hand) before any cards are dealt. This means that in Texas Hold’em there will always be money to win in a hand. The dealer button rotates clockwise after each completed hand, and is used to represent the player holding the dealer position. The position of the dealer button also determines the position of the Big and Small Blind as the Small Blind is the player to the immediate left of the dealer and the Big Blind is the player to the left of the Small Blind (see the figure below). In online poker you don’t have to worry about the position of the dealer and Big and Small Blinds since this is all taken care of automatically by the poker software.

A Texas Hold’em hand begins with the dealer dealing one card face down in a clockwise manner to all the players at the table starting with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind. Then the dealer deals one more card to each player in the same way.

When all players have two face down cards (known as hole or pocket cards) the first betting round (also known as the preflop betting round) begins, starting with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind and continuing clockwise around the table. In No Limit Hold’Em the smallest possible bet is the same size as the Big Blind; there is no upper limit to bets. When it’s your turn to bet and you are not the Big Blind you have 3 options: Call, Raise or Fold.

• By calling you bet the same amount as the biggest bet made by the players acting before you.
• By raising you call the biggest bet made by the players acting before you and then place an additional bet over the top.
• By folding you choose not to continue playing your pocket cards, and you will be out of the game until the next hand starts.

When you are the Big Blind in the first betting round and nobody has made a bet larger than you big blind you can choose to Check, Raise or Fold. By checking you simply pass on the turn to the next player without making any bet. This is possible since you have already paid the Big Blind into the pot.

When the big blind has completed his/hers turn, the first three community cards – known as the flop- are dealt face up in the middle of the table. The second betting round then starts with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still playing the hand and continues clockwise. The second betting round ends with the dealer.

The next and 4th community card – known as the turn or the 4th street – is dealt face up and a third betting round follows in the same manner as the second betting round.

Finally the 5th and last community card – known as the river or the 5th street – is dealt face up and a fourth betting round follows in the same manner as the second and third betting rounds. If a player bets during the fourth betting round and all the other players remaining fold then he or she wins the pot without having to show his/hers pocket cards. If one or more players call then a showdown, where all remaining players reveal their pocket cards, determines the winner of the pot according to the hand ranking scheme I described earlier. So there you have it, the Texas Hold’em No Limit gameplay in all its simplicity. There are a couple of extra subtle details regarding special circumstances that may occur during the game, but I will go more into detail with these later.

My next post in this series will deal with choosing which starting hands to play depending on which position you are in relative to the dealer button.

This post belong to the following series:

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In button games, a non-playing dealer normally does the actual dealing. A round disk called the button is used to indicate which player has the dealer position.

The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action after the first betting round. The button moves clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action.

One or more blind bets are usually used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. Blinds are part of a player's bet, unless the structure of a game or the situation requires part or all of a particular blind to be 'dead.'

Dead chips are not part of a player's bet. With two blinds, the small blind is posted by the player immediately clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player two positions clockwise from the button. With more than two blinds, the little blind is normally left of the button (not on it).

Action is initiated on the first betting round by the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.

Poker Tournament Blind Rules

Rules for Using Blinds in Poker

Blind Baseball Poker Rules

1. Each round every player must get an opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations. Either of the following methods of button and blind placement may be designated to do this:
(a) Moving button - The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. There may be more than one big blind.
(b) Dead button - The big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.
[See 'Section 16 - Explanations,' discussion #1, for more information on this rule.]
2. A player who posts a blind has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. (This does not apply when a 'dead blind' for the collection is used in a game and has been posted).
3. In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
4. A new player entering the game has the following options:
(a) Wait for the big blind.
(b) Post an amount equal to the big blind and immediately be dealt a hand. (In lowball, a new player must either post an amount double the big blind or wait for the big blind.)
5. A new player who elects to let the button go by once without posting is not treated as a player in the game who has missed a blind, and needs to post only the big blind when entering the game.
6. A person playing over is considered a new player, and must post the amount of the big blind or wait for the big blind.
7. A new player cannot be dealt in between the big blind and the button. Blinds may not be made up between the big blind and the button. You must wait until the button passes. [See 'Section 16 - Explanations,' discussion #3, for more information on this rule.]
8. When you post the big blind, it serves as your opening bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
9. A player who misses any or all blinds can resume play by either posting all the blinds missed or waiting for the big blind. If you choose to post the total amount of the blinds, an amount up to the size of the minimum opening bet is live. The remainder is taken by the dealer to the center of the pot and is not part of your bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
10. If a player who owes a blind (as a result of a missed blind) is dealt in without posting, the hand is dead if the player looks at it before putting up the required chips, and has not yet acted. If the player acts on the hand and plays it, putting chips into the pot before the error is discovered, the hand is live, and the player is required to post on the next deal.
11. A player who goes all-in and loses is obligated to make up the blinds if they are missed before a rebuy is made. (The person is not treated as a new player when reentering.)
12. These rules about blinds apply to a newly started game:
(a) Any player who drew for the button is considered active in the game and is required to make up any missed blinds.
(b) A new player will not be required to post a blind until the button has made one complete revolution around the table, provided a blind has not yet passed that seat.
(c) A player may change seats without penalty, provided a blind has not yet passed the new seat.
13. In all multiple-blind games, a player who changes seats will be dealt in on the first available hand in the same relative position. Example: If you move two active positions away from the big blind, you must wait two hands before being dealt in again. If you move closer to the big blind, you can be dealt in without any penalty. If you do not wish to wait and have not yet missed a blind, then you can post an amount equal to the big blind and receive a hand. (Exception: At lowball you must kill the pot, wait for the same relative position, or wait for the big blind; see 'Section 11 - Lowball,' rule #7.)
14. A player who 'deals off' (by playing the button and then immediately getting up to change seats) can allow the blinds to pass the new seat one time and reenter the game behind the button without having to post a blind.
15. A live 'straddle bet' is not allowed at limit poker except in specified games.