In poker, a “blind” is a bet that some players are forced to place before a hand of cards. There are two types of blinds: a small blind and a big blind. The customer sitting to the left of the dealer posts a small blind, and then the player next to them posts a big blind. The size of the blinds is determined in advance and usually increases as the game progresses in tournaments to speed up the game.

Blinds are introduced into the game to induce players to act: they ensure there will be money in the pot before the players receive their cards. This gives players a nudge to play and bet more aggressively.