In Limit hold 'em, or indeed in any poker game with a fixed-limit betting structure, the big blind is typically the same amount as the fixed limit would be on the preflop betting round (unless the pot is a kill pot). The small blind's blind amount is generally one half the size of the big blind, though that amount may vary or be rounded up or down in different casinos. In addition, anyone entering a cash game is required to either post the big blind prior to being dealt his first hand, or else wait for the big blind. The small blind is the seat immediately to the left of the dealer button and the big blind is the seat immediately to the left of the small blind.

Generally, poker games that use blinds (such as Hold 'em or Omaha) use both a small and big blind.

The term 'blind' comes from the fact that the players are being forced to bet on their hands (that is, bet as though they believed their hands were the best hands) without having seen their cards. A 'blind raise' is usually called a ' straddle' or a ' live (number)' describing both the amount of the raise and the fact that it is live (for example, in a 2/4 limit game, a blind raise must be to $4, and is often called a 'live four' in a 5/10 game, a blind raise could be called a 'live ten') This is usually used in conjunction with a betting action, as when a player does a 'blind call' or 'raises blind'. When used as an adjective, blind refers to action taken prior to the deal. This is the one time a player can seemingly 'raise themeselves', but since their original bet was blind and done without the benefit of cards, this is done to provide the player in the blind with a fair opportunity to raise the pot if they desire. This means that when the initial round of betting occurs, the betting action starts after the players who posted blinds (as though the players had originally bet those amounts), but when the action circles around the table back to them, a player who posted a big blind has the option to raise the pot.

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