Big blind

The big blind is the larger of the two forced bets in Hold’em and Omaha. The player two seats to the left of the button posts it before any cards are dealt. The small blind, directly left of the button, posts the smaller one, usually half as much.

What the big blind does

• Sets the stakes. In a 1/2 game, the small blind is 1 and the big blind is 2. The big blind is also the minimum bet for the hand.
• Acts last preflop. Action starts with the player to the left of the big blind and ends with the big blind.
• Gets a free look. If nobody raises, the big blind can check and see the flop without paying more.
• Moves every hand. The blinds move one seat clockwise with the button, so everyone pays them in turn.

Can the big blind raise if everyone calls?

Yes. If everyone just calls, the big blind has the option to check or raise. The preflop betting isn’t over until the big blind acts.

Big blinds as a unit

Players measure stacks and results in big blinds (bb) so they compare across stakes. A 100bb stack is 200 in a 1/2 game and 1,000 in a 5/10 game. Win rates are quoted in bb/100, big blinds won per 100 hands. See what’s a good win rate.

Playing from the big blind

The big blind is the hardest seat at the table. You already have chips in, so calling a small raise is cheap and you can defend with many hands. But after the flop, you’ll be out of position against everyone except the small blind. Tournament players get a full lesson: defending the big blind.

Many tournaments also use a big blind ante: the big blind pays one ante for the whole table, instead of every player posting their own.