Placing a blind (blind bet) is a mandatory starting bet which certain players pay into the pot before the start of a round of cards in poker, especially in games such as Texas hold ‘em and Omaha hold ‘em. There are two types of blinds:

Small blind: This is the first of the two mandatory bets which are placed before the start of a round. A small blind is considered to be the minimum bet in this round, and must be posted by the player sitting to the left of the dealer (or dealer button). The size of the small blind is determined by the rules of the specific game.

Big blind: A big blind is the second mandatory bet of the round. This bet is placed by the player sitting to the left of the player who posted the small blind. The big blind is usually twice as large as the small blind.

Blind bets form the starting pot and encourage action at the start of the round. After this, each player receives two pocket cards, and the first betting round begins, which starts with the player sitting to the left of the big blind.

It’s important to note that blinds are mandatory bets, and players cannot opt out of them. However, after finishing the round, when the betting returns to the big blind, they can choose whether to remain in the round, raise, call (match), or discard their cards (fold).

Blind bets make the game more active and ensure that there will be money in the pot each round, which makes the game more interesting.