Blinds are compulsory bets that seed the pot before any cards are dealt in flop games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha. There are two: the small blind, posted by the first player to the left of the dealer button, and the big blind, posted by the next player along. The button moves one seat each hand, so everyone pays the blinds in turn.
Stakes are named after the blinds. In a $1/$2 game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind $2. Players entering the hand must at least match the big blind, the small blind tops up, and the big blind sees the flop for free if nobody raises.
Blinds differ from an ante, which every player pays. In tournaments, blind levels rise on a schedule to keep the game moving; for operators, that structure and the length of each level are key settings of any poker event.