Not knowing what blinds are in Texas Holdem is similar to going into sports betting without knowing what a point spread is.

However, learning about poker blinds is a must before playing any poker game for money. If you are new to poker, the concept of blinds may be difficult to understand. Blinds keep the game and action flowing at the poker table. In cash games and tournaments, blinds are a necessity that every player at the table has to contribute. But Paul Phua’s poker tip is to remember never feel committed to a pot simply because you have paid your blind, especially in Texas Holdem, and not be afraid to enter a pot if you have a strong enough hand.Poker blinds are the foundation of any poker game. Being in the small blind spot on a poker table is a disadvantage because you will be the first to act in every round after the flop. Depending on your position around the poker table in a casino, or a social poker night where the dealer changes as the “button” moves from player to player, you will have to give certain blinds. Paul Phua says the blind also marks potential poker strategy. So in the casino, whether you hold a 2 and a 3 unsuited, or a pair of aces – before you see your hand it’s all the same.

They are betting blind, with no knowledge of the hand’s worth. The name comes from the fact that players are being asked to bet without seeing their hands. There are mainly two blinds in Texas Holdem – the big and small blind, but there can sometimes be three players who have to make them. Paul Phua thinks that the blind keeps the momentum up, and ensures the game of poker finishes within a reasonable time frame – especially since the blinds often increase in value during a game of Texas Holdem to speed things up even further. Like antes, they exist so that there is a cost to playing, so the poker games don’t go on and on with players just waiting to be dealt a great hand. They are another type of forced bet, but this time before you have been dealt your cards. Texas Holdem poker does have something called blinds though. But Texas Holdem doesn’t, meaning you can fold your cards without betting. Some poker games have antes – forced bets.

Towards the end of a poker night, especially if things aren’t going so well and your chip pile is lower than you’d like it to be, or the blind bets are increasing in size, then the blind can really eat into your stack. When you are in the casino at the beginning of a poker game, and you have lots of chips, the blinds are something you hardly notice.

Small blind in texas holdem