In poker, the “big blind” is the largest of the two forced bets that must be made before each hand. The player in the big blind position is at a disadvantage because they have to act first on every round of betting, without knowing what the other players have.
The size of the big blind varies depending on the game being played and the stakes involved. In a $1/$2 no-limit Hold’em game, for example, the big blind would be $2.
In a $5/$10 pot-limit Omaha game, the big blind would be $10.
The name “big blind” comes from the fact that this forced bet is usually twice as large as the small blind, which is the other forced bet made before each hand. The player in the small blind position is at a slight advantage because they get to see all of the other players’ hands before having to act.
The small blind and big blind are typically referred to as “live” bets because they are not put in by any particular player; instead, they are added to the pot by the dealer and are available to be won by any player at the table.
In some games, such as stud or draw poker, there is no small blind or big blind; instead, each player antes (puts in a small amount of money) before each hand is dealt.
The purpose of the smallblind and bigblind is to ensure that there is always something at stake in each hand of poker, no matter how good or bad the cards may be. Without these forced bets, players would have no incentive to stay in hands that they might otherwise fold if there was nothing immediately at stake.
