What are the small blind and big blind?
Updated November 2026
The small blind and big blind are forced bets posted before the cards are dealt, by the two players directly left of the dealer button. The big blind is usually twice the small blind, and those bets give everyone something to play for.
They move one seat around the table every hand, so everyone pays the same over time.
| Small blind | First seat left of the button |
|---|---|
| Big blind | Second seat left of the button |
| Usual size | Big blind is twice the small |
| $1/$2 game | $1 and $2 |
| Who acts first before the flop | Left of the big blind |
Cost per 100 hands
Why are there blinds?
Without them, nothing would be at stake when the cards came out, and everyone could wait for aces at no cost. The blinds put money in the middle, so somebody always has a reason to fight for it.
Who posts
In a $1/$2 game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind $2.
How do they change who acts first?
Before the flop, the first player to act sits directly left of the big blind, and the big blind acts last. That last action is called the option: if nobody raises, the big blind can check or raise.
After the flop the small blind acts first if still in, and the button acts last. That's why the blinds are the worst seats after the flop.
Order of action
What do the blinds cost you?
Once around the table you pay 1.5 big blinds, the small one plus the big one. At a nine-player table that's 16.7 big blinds per 100 hands, and at six players 25.
It's a bill you pay whether you play or not, so your strategy needs to earn more than that.
Forced bets per 100 hands
Should you call a raise from the big blind?
More often than from other seats, because you already have chips in. If someone raises to 3 big blinds and the small blind folds, you pay 2 more to win 4.5. That's a price of 30.8%, a much better deal than the first seat gets.
Don't go too far with this. You'll be first to act on every later street, so weak hands get into trouble. Our preflop charts show what opens from each seat.
Raise to 3 big blinds
What's different in tournaments?
The blinds go up on a clock, so your stack shrinks relative to them even when you're not losing hands. Many tournaments also add an ante, an extra forced bet, often paid by the big blind for the whole table. Our guide to tournaments for beginners explains the levels.
What happens with only two players?
The button posts the small blind and acts first before the flop. After the flop the button acts last, the same as a full table. Our guide to heads-up poker covers the rest.
Do you know where the blinds go?
Twelve spots in three rounds.
Questions players ask
Is the big blind always twice the small blind?
Usually, but not always. A $2/$5 game is common in casinos, and there the big blind is two and a half times the small blind.
Why is it called a blind?
You put it in before seeing your cards.
Can I skip the blinds?
Not if you want to keep playing. If you sit out when they come to you, the rules of the room decide what you owe when you return.
Know someone who never remembers whose blind it is?
Send them this page.