Limit Hold’em A-Z: D Is for Defending the Blinds

In Texas Hold'em, to get some money in the pot at the beginning of a hand the player to the immediate left of the dealer button puts in or posts the small blind which equals half of the minimum bet for the first betting round. The next player to the left is the big blind and post a full bet. They are called blinds because they are blind bets made before any cards are dealt. When a player in the blind puts in additional money to call a raise it is known as "Defending the Blind." Many players lose a lot of money by playing incorrectly from the blinds and defending the blind with inferior hand is one of the major leaks in the game of otherwise solid players