heads up blind structure

[billywestom 0]

hey. i am hoping i can get Daniel to answer this one. if not, i will take all suggestions. i was arguing with a poker dealer lately about why in hold'em the small blind is on the button. he says that there is no actual rule that the small blind must be on the button. i told him that every tournament you play in or see on TV has this structure. i told him that at a full table the button and the small blind act before the big blind (this is all preflop), so they are put together during heads up play. is there any one out there that knows the real reason so maybe this guy will change the structure at our local casino?

[JaysonWeber 0]

I've always wondered the same, and the answer he gave is basically the one I've always been given... In my mind it makes no difference either way, but just keeping a formality like that makes it easy.

[akishore 0]

here's my take:1. the big blind should always be the last to act pre-flop.2. the dealer should always be the last to act post-flop.3. at three-handed and more, the dealer never acts last pre-flop AND post-flop.so, in heads-up, the dealer should act last post-flop, but not pre-flop. this means the dealer has to be small blind.again, there's no rule, but that's my logic behind it.aseem

[deadlysyns 0]

Heads up the small blind is always the button and is first to act preflop. Big Blind has last option preflop but is first to act after the flop.

[TJ_Eckleburg 0]

There actually is a reason, and it does matter quite a bit. If the Big Blind was the button, then the big blind would be last to act both preflop and post-flop. This would amount to a HUGE advantage in a heads up match for whomever was in the big blind, for a couple reasons. Not only acting last, which is reason enough, but being the big blind strengthens your hand. Being the big blind means you're much more likely to play your hand than you would if you were not a blind, which therefore means you're more likely to win that hand. Being last to act both preflop and postflop would mean that an intelligent player would never play from the small blind. It'd be a cheaper fold preflop, and to only play from the big blind (with position) would give a much higher expectancy of winning, with position and more of a chip commitment. So heads up, that's why the small blind is always the button and is always first to act preflop, and last to act postflop.

[Suited_Up 2]

Heads up the small blind is always the button and is first to act preflop.  Big Blind has last option preflop but is first to act after the flop.

This and TJ's post pretty much sum it up... but let me just clarify this a little. Basically... The BB always has to react to the pre-flop betting round. But the blinds are a worse position than the button. So by giving the button to the SB, it allows the BB to act after the SB makes a move.... And then puts the BB back in worse position post flop. It actually works this way in a full game too if you think about it.

[billywestom 0]

thanks for all the replies guys. this is all what i figured was the logic, and i was just wondering if there was a real rule. i thought i remembered seeing it in the WSOP rules online, but now i cant find it.