In poker, what is the "small blind"?

[ProGambler]

The player sitting to the left of the dealer button (in the majority of games with a professional dealer) or the first player to the left of the dealer button (in self-dealt games) must post the "small blind" before the cards are dealt. The player seated two seats to the left of the dealer button posts the big blind, which is often twice as big as the small blind.

The small blind ensures that there is always some money on the line in each hand and serves as the starting pot for the players to contend for. Typically, the small blind sum is fixed at a specific level in relation to the stakes.

 

[CR7]

Thank you for the detailed explanation!

To add on further, the player who posts the small blind is usually required to put in half the size of the big blind. For example, in a $1/$2 game, the player in the small blind position would be required to put in $1 as the small blind while the big blind would be $2. This is to ensure that there is always money in the pot for players to compete for and to prevent players from avoiding playing hands by simply waiting for good cards.

Another important aspect to consider is the order of action. Since the player in the small blind has already put money into the pot, they have the option to either complete the bet (to match the big blind) or raise the bet. The big blind would be the last to act pre-flop, and then the action would continue as usual, clockwise around the table.

In conclusion, the small blind is an important aspect of poker that ensures there is money in the pot from the start of each hand and forces players to take action.

 

[Hasan77]

The small blind is the bet placed by the player sitting to the left of the dealer button (or the dealer position if there is no physical button). The small blind is typically half the size of the big blind. For example, in a $1/$2 no-limit Texas Hold'em game, the small blind would be $1.