[No 1 in Gambling Poker] Blinds - When a player in the blinds leaves the game

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Sep 27, 2011, 9:56:08 AM9/27/11

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Blinds - When a player in the blinds leaves the game

When one or more players in the small or big blinds leaves the game, an adjustment is required in the positioning of the blinds and the button. The two most common tournament rules for handling this situation are the dead button and the moving button rules. In online card rooms, a simplified moving button rule is usually employed. Note that other variations on these rules exist. ^[1]^[2]^[3]

Dead button rule

Under the dead button rule, the big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.

If the small blind busts out (leaves the game), the button moves to the seat vacated by the eliminated small blind. The player who was the big blind now posts the small blind and the player to his left posts the big blind. Since the button is now located at an empty seat, the player who was the button will, in effect, be the button once again.

If the big blind busts out, the button moves to the player who was the small blind and the player to the left of the eliminated big blind posts the big blind. There is no small blind for that hand. On the following deal, the button moves to the empty seat vacated by the eliminated player and the two players to the left post the normal blinds. Since the button is now located at an empty seat, the player who was the original small blind will, in effect, be the button once again.

If both blinds bust out, the same player will effectively be the button three hands in a row. The button moves to the now empty seat vacated by the eliminated small blind and the player to the left of the eliminated big blind posts the big blind. There is no small blind for that hand. On the following deal, the button moves to the next empty seat (the seat vacated by the eliminated big blind player) and the two players to the left post the normal blinds.

Moving button rule

Under the moving button rule, the button always moves forward so that a player never has the right to act last for two consecutive hands. The blinds adjust accordingly, which may result in more than one small blind, and/or more than one big blind being posted in a given hand.

These rules are always followed when assigning the blinds:

The button always moves forward to the next seat occupied by a player.
The player two seats to the left of the button always posts a big blind, as well as any players that the big blind has skipped past.
Any player that posted a big blind in the previous hand, must post a small blind.

For the following examples, consider a hand just finished with Alice, Bob, Carol, David, and Ellen seated in order after the previous hand's dealer. Alice was the small blind in the previous hand, and Bob was the big blind.

Under normal conditions, Alice will have the button the next hand, Bob will post the small blind, and Carol will post the big blind.
If Alice busts out, or steps away from the table, the button will skip past the vacated seat to Bob. Bob will post his small blind on top of the button. Carol and David will both post big blinds.
- The subsequent hand, Carol will have the button. Carol and David will both post small blinds, and Ellen will post the big blind.
If Bob busts out or leaves the table, the button will move to Alice. Carol and David will both post big blinds.
- The subsequent hand, Carol will post a small blind on the button. David will post a small blind and Ellen will post the big blind.
If Alice and Bob both bust out, or step away from the game, the button will skip ahead to Carol. Carol, David, and Ellen will all post big blinds.
- The subsequent hand, David will have the button. Carol will post a small blind behind the button, as well as David and Ellen posting small blinds, and the player after Ellen posting the big blind.

The moving button system can cause irregular blinds for several hands after a player leaves the game, and further complications can arise if players bust out on consecutive hands. However, the blinds will always eventually resolve to their normal positions.

Simplified moving button rule

Under the simplified moving button rule, normally used in on-line card rooms, the button always moves forward to the next player and the small and big blinds post in the two seats to the left of the button. Players may miss blinds.

Notes

^ Blinds And The Dealer Button, Caro & Cooke's Rules of Real Poker
^ Dead Button vs. Moving Button
^ ^a ^b ^c Laws of Poker (PDF), United States Poker Association

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.