Big Blind (Poker)

The big blind the larger of the automatic bets that has to be made in a hand of poker. The dealer button is used to indicate which players have to post the big blind and the small blind. The player in the first live seat left of the dealer button will post the small blind and the next player to the left (two live seats from the dealer button) will post the big blind.

Players often make plays and raise the pot to steel blinds from late position, particularly in tournament play when the blinds have increases to a substantial level. In tournament poker, as the tournament progresses the amount that a player has to pay to cover the big and small blind (half the value of the big blind) steadily increases making it more valuable to steel the blinds (raise everyone out of the pot).

It is also common to use a certain amount of reverse psychology and to make the appearance that you are stealing the blinds in late position when in fact you have a monster hand.

See detailed Guide: Big and Small blind