What Are Texas Hold’em Blinds?

What Are Texas Hold’em Blinds?

What Are Texas Hold’em Blinds?

Texas Hold’em exploded in popularity during the Chris Moneymaker era beginning in 2003. Poker was everywhere from 2003 to 2006, as new players attempted to match Moneymaker’s incredible run to win the World Series of Poker.

Almost 20 years later, Texas Hold’em is still a popular casino game and one where the player can have a strategic advantage. Online poker still attracts millions of players to the virtual poker room every day.

The 2022 WSOP Main Event was the second-largest event ever, just barely missing the record in 2006.

There aren’t many casino games where the player can increase their edge by playing strategically well. It’s much harder than it sounds, but with hard work, making a living as a professional poker player is possible. This can’t be said for any pit games, including blackjack because of heat from casino management for advantage play.

TEXAS HOLD’EM BLINDS

The best poker players in the world have to start somewhere. TheSportsGeek likes to help beginners and experts alike. For today, we’re helping beginners learn about Texas Hold’em blind rules at TheSportsGeek.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to poker. If you want to become a professional poker player, this can only be done by a lot of studying and hard work. There aren’t many naturals like Stu Ungar.

In an overwhelming amount of cases, poker should only be played recreationally as a side income or for fun.

One of the first aspects of poker you must learn is how Texas Hold’em poker blinds work. Please don’t go to the poker table without even knowing what Texas Hold’em blinds are or you won’t make many friends.

What Are Texas Hold’em Blinds?

There are two players in a Texas Hold’em game that must always be responsible for blinds at the poker table. Blinds are forced bets that are required to go into the pot.

The poker dealer will signal to the two closest players on his or her left side to contribute the big and small blinds after the cards are dealt.

The player closest to the dealer will be the small blind, and the player to that player’s left will have the big blind. This cycle moves counterclockwise, so every player at the table will have their turn contributing to the pot.

Texas Hold’em Blind Rules

TEXAS HOLD’EM POKER BLINDS ARE REQUIRED

Texas Hold’em blinds are necessary for a starting pot in the game. It keeps the game moving and ensures players are contributing at the poker table. This isn’t a voluntary bet; it’s mandatory.

How much are the blinds at a poker table? It depends. If you hear people talking about a 1/2, 2/3, 5/10, and so on, they are referring to the small and big blind.

WHAT ABOUT TOURNAMENTS?

Note that these Texas Hold’em rules do not apply to tournaments. The idea is the same, but blinds typically increase as the game progresses in a tournament. Players pay a fee to enter the tournament, with everyone beginning with chips that don’t represent cash.

This keeps the tournament moving and forces players to make a move. If you’re just going to nit the tournament up and play ultra-conservative, you’ll blind yourself right out of the game.

The higher the blinds, the higher the stakes. 100/200 games (small blind $100, big blind $200) are regarded as high-stakes poker.

Big Blinds

The player responsible for the big blinds at the start of a game is the second closest to the dealer. After the first hand is finished, then it will be the third closest, and so on until the cycle repeats itself after every hand.

Everyone will be responsible for paying the big blind in the game. No one wants to be the big blind, but everyone must take on this role. You can get your contributing back and then some if you win the hand.

The big blind you contribute to the pot all depends on the stakes of the game. If you’re not comfortable playing high blinds, then there are 1/2 cash games available. In this example, the small blind is a dollar and the big blind is 2 dollars.

SMALL TO HIGH STAKES

Land-based poker rooms start at 1/2 blinds. Fancier and more expensive casinos may start at 5/10, but generally, 1/2 games are easy to find at most casinos in the country. The Bellagio, Wynn, and Aria are well-known for private high-roller poker games.

Fortunately, if you find these blinds too high, online poker offers a nice alternative to expensive tales with micro-stakes games. These Texas Hold’em blinds are under a dollar, with 25 and 50-cent games available.

Little Blinds

The player closest to the dealer, to open a game at the table, is responsible for the small blind. The smaller number in the game (1/2, 2/3, 5/10, 25/50, etc.) is the little blind in the poker game.

Let’s assume we’re playing a 5/10 game. The player responsible for the small blind will contribute $5.00 to the pot and the big blind is $10.00.

Note that the big blind player for this hand will have the small blind for the next game. After they clear the small blind, the player will not be responsible for putting blinds into the pot until the counterclockwise cycle completes a full circle.

Conclusion

Texas Hold’em blinds are needed to keep the game moving, whether it’s a cash game or tournament. Nobody can get away from contributing to the pot with blinds.

The big blind and little blind will eventually get you if you’re playing too conservatively. Waiting for the perfect hand may never come. In this case, you will get blinded off the table.

Online poker offers the best tables from small to high stakes games. Practice your craft or jump into big games right away at the best online poker sites.

Author: Tamara Kim