Blinds, Antes & the Dealer Button Explained
Poker Basics
Beginner
Blinds, antes, and the dealer button determine where every Texas Hold’em hand begins. They decide which players must put chips into the pot before seeing their cards, who acts first before the flop, who acts first after the flop, and how those responsibilities rotate around the table.
If you already understand the basic flow of a Hold’em hand and actions such as checking, calling, raising, and folding, this is the next piece of the game to master. Once the button and blinds make sense, concepts such as position, starting-hand selection, preflop strategy, stack sizes, and tournament pressure become much easier to understand.
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What Are Blinds in Poker?
Blinds are forced bets that certain players must put into the pot before the cards are dealt.
In a normal multi-player Texas Hold’em game, there are two blinds:
The small blind
The big blind
These bets are called "blinds" because the players post them before seeing their hole cards.
For a simple example, imagine a $1/$2 Hold’em game:
Small blind: $1
Big blind: $2
Before anyone receives cards, one player puts $1 into the pot and another puts $2 into the pot. That means there is already $3 to compete for before any voluntary betting begins.
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Why Does Poker Use Forced Bets?
Without forced bets, players could theoretically sit and wait for extremely strong starting hands without paying any cost for folding hand after hand.
Blinds prevent that.
Because the obligation to post blinds keeps moving around the table, every player eventually has chips at risk before seeing their cards. That creates something worth winning and gives players an incentive to contest pots.
Blinds therefore serve two basic purposes:
They create a pot before voluntary betting begins.
They prevent players from waiting indefinitely without contributing chips.
Antes can add even more money to the starting pot, especially in tournaments.
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What Does the Dealer Button Mean?
The dealer button is a small round marker used to identify the nominal dealer position for the current hand.
It is usually simply called the "button."
In a home game, the player with the button may physically deal the cards. In a casino or poker room, a professional dealer normally remains seated in one place and deals every hand.
The button is still necessary because it determines the order of play.
It tells the table where the small blind and big blind belong and helps determine who acts first and last during the betting rounds.
The physical casino dealer does not replace the function of the button.
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How the Dealer Button Moves
After a normal hand is completed, the button generally moves clockwise to the next appropriate seat.
The blinds move with it.
In an ordinary multi-player hand:
The player immediately to the left of the button posts the small blind.
The next player to the left posts the big blind.
The player immediately to the left of the big blind normally acts first before the flop.
That rotation distributes the forced bets and table positions among the players rather than leaving the same people in the blinds every hand.
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What Is the Small Blind?
The small blind is the smaller of the two standard forced bets in Texas Hold’em.
In a typical multi-player game, it is posted by the player immediately to the left of the dealer button.
If the game is $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em, the small blind would commonly be $1.
The player does not choose whether to post it. If that seat is participating normally in the hand, the blind is required.
The exact relationship between the small and big blinds depends on the structure of the game, but the small blind is commonly one-half of the big blind or close to it.
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What Is the Big Blind?
The big blind is the larger standard forced bet.
In a typical multi-player game, the player immediately to the left of the small blind posts the big blind.
In a $1/$2 game:
Small blind posts $1.
Big blind posts $2.
The big blind also establishes the live amount players must at least match to continue before the flop when there has been no raise.
That makes the big blind different from an ante, which contributes to the pot but is not itself the live bet that other players must call.
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Why Is the Big Blind Larger Than the Small Blind?
The two-blind system creates a gradual forced-bet structure rather than requiring both blind positions to commit the same amount.
The big blind is normally the full opening blind amount, while the small blind contributes a smaller amount.
For example, in a $1/$2 game, a player calling before the flop must normally bring the total contribution to $2 if nobody has raised.
A small blind who wants to call therefore has already contributed $1 and must add another $1.
The big blind has already contributed the full $2.
Not every game uses an exact one-half relationship between the blinds, so the posted structure of the game should always be checked.
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What Does "Posting the Blinds" Mean?
Posting the blinds simply means putting the required blind chips into the pot before the cards are dealt.
If someone says, "Post your big blind," that player is being asked to place the required big blind amount forward.
In a $1/$2 game:
Posting the small blind means putting out $1.
Posting the big blind means putting out $2.
You may also hear the word "post" in ring games when a player has just joined a table or has missed a required blind. Those situations can involve additional house rules, which are explained later in this guide.
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How the Blinds Affect the First Betting Round
The first betting round in Texas Hold’em takes place before the flop and is called preflop.
The blinds have already placed chips into the pot before this round begins.
In a normal multi-player hand, the first player to act preflop is the active player immediately to the left of the big blind.
This position is commonly called "under the gun."
Action then continues clockwise around the table.
Suppose six players are seated and the layout is:
Player A: Button
Player B: Small blind — $1
Player C: Big blind — $2
Player D: First to act preflop
Player E: Next
Player F: Next
Player D acts first.
Player D may fold, call the $2 big blind, or raise. The action continues clockwise through the remaining players, eventually reaching the button, small blind, and big blind if they are still involved.
If you need a refresher on what calling, raising, checking, and folding mean, review the earlier Angry Aces Poker article Poker Betting Basics: Check, Bet, Call, Raise & Fold Explained.
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Why Does the Big Blind Get an Option Preflop?
Beginners sometimes assume the big blind has already acted simply because that player posted chips before the cards were dealt.
Posting a blind is not the same as making a voluntary betting decision.
Imagine a $1/$2 game in which several players simply call $2 and nobody raises.
When action reaches the big blind, that player has already contributed the required $2. There is therefore nothing additional to call.
The big blind may:
Check, which closes the preflop betting round and allows the hand to proceed to the flop.
Raise, which reopens the action to the other remaining players.
This is sometimes called the big blind's "option."
If someone raises before action reaches the big blind, the situation changes. The big blind must then decide whether to fold, call the higher amount, or raise again if permitted.
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Who Acts First After the Flop?
Once the flop has been dealt, the order of action changes.
In a normal multi-player Texas Hold’em hand, the first active player immediately to the left of the dealer button acts first after the flop.
The same basic rule applies on the flop, turn, and river.
This is why the button is so important.
Consider the same six-player example:
Player A: Button
Player B: Small blind
Player C: Big blind
Players D, E, and F: Other positions
If all six players reach the flop, Player B, the small blind, acts first because Player B is the first active player to the left of the button.
Action then moves clockwise, with the button acting last.
If Player B folded before the flop, Player C would be first to act after the flop.
If both blind players folded, the first remaining active player clockwise from the button would act first.
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Preflop and Postflop Action Are Different
The easiest way to remember the action order is to separate the hand into two parts.
Before the flop:
Find the big blind.
The active player immediately to the big blind's left normally acts first.
After the flop:
Find the dealer button.
The first active player immediately to the button's left acts first.
This distinction is one of the most important lessons for a new Hold’em player.
The blinds determine the starting point of preflop action. The button determines the reference point for postflop action.
Detailed strategy about why acting later is advantageous belongs to the next stage of the Angry Aces beginner learning path. For now, the important point is simply knowing whose turn it is.
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What Is an Ante?
An ante is another type of forced contribution made before a poker hand begins.
Unlike a normal blind, an ante is generally dead money placed directly into the pot. It does not function as the live preflop bet that another player must match.
That distinction is important.
If a tournament has blinds of 100/200 and an ante, a player does not normally call the ante amount in addition to calling the 200 big blind. The live amount to call before a raise is still based on the big blind.
Antes increase the amount of chips available to win before voluntary action begins.
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Traditional Individual Antes
Under a traditional ante system, every player at the table contributes a specified ante before each hand.
For example, suppose six players are playing:
Small blind: 100
Big blind: 200
Ante: 25 per player
The six antes contribute 150 chips.
The blinds contribute another 300.
The pot therefore contains 450 chips before anyone makes a voluntary call or raise.
Traditional individual antes were widely used in tournament poker and are still used in some games and formats.
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What Is a Big Blind Ante?
A big blind ante, often shortened to BBA, changes who physically posts the ante.
Instead of collecting a separate ante from every player before every hand, one player—the player in the big blind—posts the table's ante in addition to the regular big blind.
For example, a tournament level might be:
Small blind: 500
Big blind: 1,000
Big blind ante: 1,000
The small blind contributes 500.
The player in the big blind contributes 1,000 as the live big blind and another 1,000 as the ante.
The starting pot is therefore 2,500 before anyone voluntarily enters it.
The ante portion is dead money in the pot. The 1,000 big blind remains the live preflop blind.
The Poker Tournament Directors Association's tournament rules and procedures recommend the big blind ante when a tournament uses a single-payer ante format.
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Why Has the Big Blind Ante Become Common in Live Tournaments?
One major advantage is efficiency.
With individual antes, the dealer may have to collect chips from every player before every hand and determine whether someone forgot to contribute.
With a big blind ante, only one player posts the ante for that hand.
When the World Series of Poker introduced the format in selected events, it specifically cited easier ante collection and faster play as advantages. The WSOP explanation of the big blind ante also illustrates how the ante and live big blind are treated separately.
The format later became widespread in live tournament poker.
That does not mean every tournament uses the same big blind ante amount or procedure. Players should always check the event's structure sheet and rules.
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How Blinds and Antes Change the Starting Pot
Forced bets matter because they determine how much is available before anyone voluntarily enters a hand.
Consider three examples.
A $1/$2 ring game with no ante starts with:
$1 small blind
$2 big blind
$3 total pot
A tournament at 100/200 with six individual 25-chip antes starts with:
100 small blind
200 big blind
150 total antes
450 total pot
A tournament at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante starts with:
100 small blind
200 big blind
200 big blind ante
500 total pot
The more forced chips already in the middle, the more there is to compete for.
That becomes strategically important later when you study preflop decisions, stack sizes, bet sizing, and pot odds.
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What Is a Blind Level?
A blind level is a period during a poker tournament in which the blinds and any ante remain at specified amounts.
For example:
Level 1 might use 100/200 blinds.
Level 2 might use 100/300 blinds.
Level 3 might use 200/400 blinds.
Those numbers are only examples. Real tournament structures vary.
At the end of one level, the tournament advances to the next scheduled level, normally increasing the forced bets.
A tournament's structure sheet tells players the blind amounts, ante amounts, level lengths, breaks, and other structural information.
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Why Do Tournament Blinds Increase?
Tournament poker needs a mechanism that eventually produces a winner.
If blinds remained tiny compared with every player's stack forever, players could avoid taking meaningful risks for extremely long periods.
Increasing blinds gradually place more pressure on the chips that remain in play.
A stack of 20,000 chips means something very different at 100/200 blinds than it does at 1,000/2,000 blinds.
At 100/200, the stack equals 100 big blinds.
At 1,000/2,000, the same 20,000 chips equal only 10 big blinds.
That is why tournament players frequently describe stacks in "big blinds" rather than only in raw chip counts.
Detailed strategy about how to adjust as stacks become shorter belongs in later articles. At this stage, simply understand that increasing blinds steadily increase the cost of remaining in the tournament.
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How Blinds Normally Work in Ring Games
A ring game, commonly called a cash game, normally operates differently from a tournament.
At a typical cash table, the posted stakes usually remain the same from hand to hand.
A $1/$2 game generally continues using a $1 small blind and $2 big blind unless the table's stakes are officially changed or the game operates under a special structure.
Players may usually leave the game and exchange their chips according to the poker room's rules.
There is no automatic blind escalation simply because time has passed, which is a major difference from tournaments.
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Tournament Blinds vs. Ring-Game Blinds
The basic purpose of blinds is the same in both forms of poker: they create forced action.
The major structural difference is what happens over time.
In a typical ring game:
The blind amounts remain fixed at the table's stated stakes.
Players can generally buy into the game within the room's permitted range.
There is no tournament clock continually increasing the cost of play.
In a tournament:
Players begin with tournament chips.
Blind levels normally increase according to a predetermined schedule.
Antes may be introduced or changed according to the structure.
A player's stack becomes progressively larger or smaller relative to the blinds as the tournament develops.
Specific rules always depend on the game and venue.
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What Happens When You Join a Ring Game?
A player joining an active cash game may encounter posting rules.
Depending on the poker room, seat, and circumstances, a new player may be allowed or required to:
Wait until the big blind reaches the player's seat.
Post an amount to receive a hand immediately.
Enter under another room-specific procedure.
You may hear a dealer ask a new player whether they want to "post" or "wait for the big blind."
The exact rule is not universal.
When entering an unfamiliar live game, ask the dealer whether you can be dealt in immediately and whether a blind must be posted.
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What Is a Missed Blind?
A missed blind occurs when a player who was expected to post a blind is away from the table or otherwise does not take the blind when required.
In many cash rooms, a player who misses blinds may need to make up certain blind obligations before receiving another hand.
A missed-blind button or similar marker may be used to help the dealer track this.
Procedures can vary considerably between poker rooms.
Tournament rules may operate differently. For example, tournament blinds and antes can continue to be taken from an absent player's stack under the event's rules.
The safest beginner rule is simple: never assume missed-blind procedures are identical from one game to another.
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How the Button and Blinds Work When Players Leave
The simple pattern—button, small blind, big blind—works cleanly when every seat remains occupied.
Real poker games sometimes become more complicated when players leave, are eliminated, change tables, or empty seats appear.
Poker rooms and tournaments use established procedures to preserve the correct blind rotation and prevent players from unfairly avoiding forced bets.
In ordinary situations, the button continues moving around the table according to the game's rules and the blinds are assigned accordingly.
In unusual situations, especially tournaments, a "dead button" procedure may be used.
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What Is a Dead Button?
A dead button occurs when the dealer button is placed at a seat where there is no active player for that hand.
This can happen as players are eliminated and the table becomes shorter.
The purpose is to preserve the proper progression of the blinds rather than artificially changing who owes a blind.
The Poker Tournament Directors Association specifies use of a dead button in tournament play.
Beginners do not need to memorize every dead-button scenario. Tournament staff and dealers handle the procedure.
The practical lesson is that an empty seat does not always mean the button simply skips forward in whatever way looks most obvious.
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Heads-Up Poker Changes the Blind Rules
Heads-up poker means only two players are competing.
The blind and button rules change because the normal three-position sequence—button, small blind, big blind—cannot be assigned to three different people.
In heads-up Hold’em:
The player on the button posts the small blind.
The other player posts the big blind.
The button/small blind acts first before the flop.
The big blind acts first after the flop.
The button acts last after the flop.
This is the opposite of what many beginners expect.
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Why Heads-Up Action Is Different
The heads-up procedure preserves an important feature of Hold’em: the button gets the advantage of acting last after the flop.
If the button posted the big blind instead, the normal relationship between the button and postflop position would be disrupted.
So heads-up play assigns the small blind to the button.
Before the flop, that player acts first.
After the flop, the big blind acts first and the button acts last.
The button alternates between the two players from hand to hand, subject to the rules used when heads-up play begins.
The Poker Tournament Directors Association also notes that the button may need to be adjusted when a tournament reaches heads-up play so that one player does not receive the big blind twice in succession.
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A Complete Six-Player Example
Imagine a six-handed $1/$2 Hold’em game.
The seats are arranged clockwise like this:
Seat 1: Button
Seat 2: Small blind — $1
Seat 3: Big blind — $2
Seat 4: First to act preflop
Seat 5
Seat 6
Before the cards are dealt, Seat 2 posts $1 and Seat 3 posts $2.
The pot begins at $3.
Each player receives two hole cards.
Seat 4 acts first before the flop.
Suppose Seat 4 folds, Seat 5 calls $2, Seat 6 folds, the button calls $2, the small blind adds $1 to call, and nobody has raised.
Action reaches the big blind.
Because the big blind already has $2 in the pot, that player may check and see the flop or raise.
Suppose the big blind checks.
The flop is dealt.
The first remaining active player to the left of the button now acts first. In this example, that is the small blind.
Action proceeds clockwise and the button acts last.
After the hand ends, the button normally moves one seat clockwise and the blind positions rotate with it.
That sequence is the foundation of table position in Hold’em.
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What Is a Straddle?
A straddle is an optional additional blind bet used in some cash games.
A common version is posted before the cards are dealt by the player immediately to the left of the big blind, although button straddles and other variations also exist.
A straddle usually changes the effective price of entering the pot and can affect the order of preflop action.
House rules differ substantially.
For a beginner, the important distinction is that the normal small blind and big blind are standard forced bets, while a straddle is an additional rule-dependent blind bet that may be optional.
Straddles deserve their own guide rather than a lengthy explanation here.
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Common Beginner Mistakes With Blinds, Antes and the Button
Confusing the Casino Dealer With the Button
The employee physically dealing the cards does not determine table position.
The dealer button does.
Thinking the Big Blind Has Already Taken Its Turn
Posting the big blind is a forced contribution, not the big blind's voluntary preflop decision.
If nobody raises, the big blind may normally check or raise when action reaches that player.
Starting Preflop Action With the Small Blind
In a normal multi-player Hold’em hand, the small blind does not act first preflop.
The player immediately to the left of the big blind normally acts first.
Starting Postflop Action Left of the Big Blind
After the flop, use the button as your reference point instead.
The first active player to the left of the dealer button normally acts first.
Forgetting the Heads-Up Exception
Heads-up rules are different.
The button posts the small blind and acts first preflop. The big blind acts first after the flop.
Treating an Ante Like a Blind
An ante contributes chips to the pot but normally does not function as the live amount another player must call before the flop.
Assuming Every Tournament Uses a Big Blind Ante
Many live tournaments use a big blind ante, but structures differ.
Always check the event rules and structure sheet.
Assuming Ring-Game Posting Rules Are Universal
New-player posting, missed blinds, straddles, and other cash-game procedures can vary between poker rooms.
Ask the dealer when you are unsure.
Ignoring Blind Levels in a Tournament
A tournament stack should be understood relative to the current blinds.
20,000 chips can be a very deep stack at one level and a short stack several levels later.
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The Key Rules to Remember
For a normal multi-player Texas Hold’em hand:
The button identifies the dealer position for the hand.
The small blind is normally immediately to the button's left.
The big blind is normally immediately to the small blind's left.
The player immediately to the big blind's left normally acts first preflop.
The first active player to the button's left normally acts first after the flop.
The button and blinds rotate around the table.
Antes add forced money to the pot but are different from live blinds.
A big blind ante is posted by the big blind on behalf of the table under that tournament structure.
For heads-up Hold’em:
The button posts the small blind.
The other player posts the big blind.
The button/small blind acts first preflop.
The big blind acts first postflop.
The button acts last postflop.
Once those rules become automatic, you are ready for the next major concept: understanding why some seats are more valuable than others and how your place relative to the button should influence your decisions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the blinds in poker?
Blinds are forced bets posted before the cards are dealt. In Texas Hold’em, the two standard blinds are the small blind and big blind.
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Who posts the small blind?
In a normal multi-player Hold’em hand, the player immediately to the left of the dealer button normally posts the small blind.
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Who posts the big blind?
In a normal multi-player Hold’em hand, the player immediately to the left of the small blind posts the big blind.
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Why are blinds called blinds?
They are posted before players see their hole cards, so the required bet is made "blind."
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Who acts first preflop in Texas Hold’em?
In a normal multi-player hand, the active player immediately to the left of the big blind normally acts first preflop.
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Who acts first after the flop?
The first active player immediately to the left of the dealer button normally acts first on the flop, turn, and river.
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Does the big blind act last preflop?
If there has been no raise and the big blind remains in the hand, action normally reaches the big blind after the other players have acted. The big blind may then check or raise. If there has been a raise, the big blind must respond to that action.
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Why can the big blind check preflop?
If nobody has raised, the big blind has already posted the full live blind amount. When action returns to that player, there is no additional amount to call, so checking is available.
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What is an ante in poker?
An ante is a forced contribution placed into the pot before the hand. Unlike a standard blind, an ante is generally dead money rather than the live preflop bet players must match.
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What is a big blind ante?
A big blind ante is a tournament format in which the player in the big blind posts the ante for the table in addition to posting the normal live big blind.
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Does every poker tournament use a big blind ante?
No. Ante structures and amounts vary by tournament. Players should check the event's official structure and rules.
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What is a blind level?
A blind level is a period of tournament play during which the blinds and any ante remain at specified amounts. At the next level, those amounts normally change according to the tournament structure.
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Do blinds increase in cash games?
In a typical ring game, the table's blinds remain at the stated stakes rather than increasing automatically over time. Special games or house procedures can differ.
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What does posting a blind mean?
Posting means putting the required blind chips into the pot before receiving a hand or as otherwise required by the game's rules.
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What happens if I miss my blind in a cash game?
The procedure depends on the poker room. A player may have to wait for the big blind or make up a missed blind before being dealt back into the game.
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What is a dead button?
A dead button is a tournament procedure in which the dealer button may occupy an empty seat so the blind rotation remains correct after players have been eliminated.
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Who is the small blind heads-up?
In heads-up Hold’em, the player on the dealer button posts the small blind.
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Who acts first heads-up before the flop?
The button/small blind acts first preflop in heads-up Hold’em.
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Who acts first heads-up after the flop?
The big blind acts first after the flop. The button/small blind acts last.
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Why is the dealer button important if a casino dealer deals every hand?
The button determines the nominal dealer position, blind locations, and betting order. The casino employee physically dealing the cards does not change those positional rules.