Blinds are a kind of forced bets paid by players to the left of the dealer. They are typically used in games which can be played without an ante, such as Hold'em. A player who pays the blind is said to have posted the blind.

In hold'em there are two blinds, the small blind and the big blind. The small blind is about half of the big blind, and the big blind is normally equal to the minimum bet.

The blinds urge people to play hands that they might not otherwise play. This prevents a person from folding all of their hands without any penalty, or with an increased penalty if antes are also being used.