What blinds are for
The small blind and big blind are forced bets that start the pot before any cards are seen. Without them, nobody has a reason to play a hand. In a cash game the blinds usually stay the same all night. In a tournament they go up at fixed intervals, so stacks shrink relative to the blinds and the game eventually ends.
Recommended blind levels for a 1,000-chip stack
These levels match the blind options when you create a table on EasyPoker, and suit a home tournament where everyone starts with 1,000 chips.
| Level | Small blind | Big blind | Starting stack in big blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 10 | 100 |
| 2 | 10 | 20 | 50 |
| 3 | 20 | 40 | 25 |
| 4 | 50 | 100 | 10 |
| 5 | 100 | 200 | 5 |
| 6 | 200 | 400 | 2.5 |
| 7 | 500 | 1,000 | 1 |
For a longer game, start at 1/2 blinds. For a short one, start at 10/20.
How long should each blind level be?
- 15 minutes: a fast game, about 2 hours with 6 to 8 players.
- 20 minutes: the usual home-game choice, about 2.5 to 3 hours.
- 30 minutes: a slow, deep game for a long evening.
Count hands instead of minutes if your group plays slowly: raising the blinds every 10 to 12 hands works well.
Cash game or tournament?
| Cash game | Tournament | |
|---|---|---|
| Blinds | Fixed all night | Go up every level |
| Starting stack | 100 big blinds is standard | 50 to 100 big blinds |
| Running out of chips | Buy in again any time | You are out (unless re-buys are allowed) |
| Ends | When people want to stop | When one player has every chip |
EasyPoker supports both: set fixed blinds for a cash game, or have the host raise the blinds between levels. Turn on buy-ins when you create the table if your group allows re-buys.
Common blind mistakes in home games
- Raising the blinds too fast. If stacks are under 10 big blinds within an hour, the game turns into an all-in lottery.
- Forgetting to raise them at all. A tournament with flat blinds can last until 4 a.m. Set a timer.
- Blinds that don't match the chips. If the small blind is 5, you need 5-value chips. Use the chip calculator to match chip values to your blinds, or use virtual chips and skip the problem.