A Look at the Differences Between The SB and BB in Poker



Q: What is the Difference Between The Small Blind and Big Blind in Poker?

A: In poker, each seat at the table has a name, relative to the location to the button (dealer).

The King explains the difference between small and big blinds in the game of Holdem and Omaha poker.


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For instance, the player directly to the left of the button is called the "small blind", while the player that is two left of the button (dealer) is called the "big blind".

In your most popular poker variants (Hold'em, Omaha), the small blind is responsible to putting the "small blind" into the pot before the hand starts, while the big blind must put the "big blind" into the middle.

For instance - let's say that you are playing in a $1/$2 cash game. In this case, $1 is the size of the small blind, while $2 is the size of the big blind. So, the Small Blind will put $1 into the middle, while the Big Blind will put in $2. This is taken automatically by the dealer. If blinds weren't taken before the hands started, players could just fold endlessly without any consequences.

Here are the key differences between the Big Blind and the Small Blind:

1) Big Blind puts more money into the middle of the table. As discussed above, in a $1/$2 cash game, the Big Blind will put $2 into the middle, while the Small Blind will put in $1.

This dynamic has a big impact on how hands are played. For instance, if the action folds around to the button and he raises to $4 ($1/$2 blinds), you would be calling much more lightly in the big blind, as you have already committed $2 to the hand. Calling an extra $2 with a speculative hand is definitely not a bad idea. If you are the small blind in this case, you would be much more likely to fold.

2) Small blind has the worst position at the table. The direct left of the dealer is the worst position to have in any given hand.

After the flop is dealt, the small blind is the first to act on every street, which is a significant disadvantage.

The big blind doesn't have good position either, though he is in a better spot than the small blind, as the small blind will be the first to act in any post-flop action.

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In closing, the two major differences between the small and big blinds are:

1) The amount that must be put into the pot automatically before the hand starts

2) Position


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