The blinds in poker are designed to start the betting action. In flop games like Texas hold’em and Omaha the blinds are posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button.
The first player to the left of the dealer button is the “small blind.” The player in the small blind is required to put in half the amount of the big blind.
The player in the “big blind” is required to put in an amount equal to one full first round bet. The minimum amount you can bet on the pre-flop and post-flop rounds is an amount equal to the big blind. So if the Big Blind is $50, all players must put $50 in the pot. If no one has raised before the Big Blind player, he has the option to fold, check or raise, but if someone has raised he can fold, call or raise. If no one at the table has placed a bet, the player at the Big Blind can check. In order to stay in the hand, the Small Blind player must put an amount in the pot, which is equal to the difference between the two blind bets.
The min/max buy-in for a poker cash game is always in relation to the size of the blinds, with most players starting chips ranging from 40 to 100 big blinds.