Poker Blinds
Blinds are Forced bets posted by poker players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style in poker games. The number of poker blinds is usually two, but can be one or three. Without the blinds, everyone would just wait until they had a perfect hand to play, and there would be no action at all .
Before the start of game, one player is designated as the dealer. He is identified by one dealer button being placed at this seat position. The dealer button in fact moves one player to the left each hand. The first player on the left of the dealer must post a 'blind' bet equal to one-half of the minimum betting unit. That player is called the small blind. The next player to the left is called the big blind, and he or she must place a "blind" bet equal to one minimum betting unit. All these bets are called 'blinds' because they must be posted without having seen any cards
What puts people into so much trouble from the blinds is their play after the flop, and it all comes down to poor decisions before the flop. For instance, let's say you have a K-10 in the big blind and call one bet to see the flop. It just comes out with a K-8-3. You now have top pair but your 10 kicker is one that can land you into all kinds of trouble. You may end up costing yourself a lot of money in this case because you think your hand is best. It might not be, and if it is not, you are going to lose a lot of money. Had you tossed this K-10 away before the flop you would not be faced with this problem. Other hands like K-10 are A-small kicker, K-J, Q-10, etc. These marginal hands that seem playable from the blinds can get you into a world of trouble after the flop. Always bear this in mind.
The forced bets or blinds lend an interesting element to the game. A lot of players want to defend their blinds at all costs. This is an enormous mistake, quite common made by Texas Holdem players. It is so tricky for players to throw away their cards if they already have money in the pot. But always remember this fact and it will help you throw away trash hands. As and when the blinds are taken, the money is not yours. This is the most simple way of remembering to get rid of crap hands before the flop. A player with a small blind has it a somewhat easier with a crap hand, since he is only in for half as much and can throw things away easier. The big blind confronts more pressure because it already has a full bet in the pot. But again, keep in mind that money is not yours anymore. Play your hand as you would do in any other position. Avoid calling raises if you do not have a strong hand from the blind.
Do not forget when playing the blinds to not go chasing after money. If you can get in cheap, simply do so. If you have to put money into the pot with weak holdings, avoid that. Most people make the major mistake of defending their blinds to a great extent, however, you should not be one of them.