The first time I played Blind Poker I was slightly nervous. One night we were playing cards with extended family and they suggested we play a new game. We said sure, being always up for trying a new game. Then someone got up and shut the blinds on the window. That made us raise our eyebrows. What was going on? What was this new game?
As it turned out, we had nothing to worry about. Blind Poker is a fun, easy game that requires no skill but plenty of risk taking. And no reflective surfaces. (Since we were playing at night, we could have easily looked into the big picture window and seen our cards.)
Blind Poker is a fun, fast moving game that players of all ages and skills can play. It is better in a larger group but you can play in a smaller group. In this post we’ll share with you the Blind Poker rules and how to play. Let’s get started.
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Setting Up Blind Poker
To start, you need a standard deck of cards and something to bid with. You can use poker chips, but we played with wrapped candies for extra fun–this is a great way to incorporate seasonality to the game. All players start with an equal amount of chips.
Playing Blind Poker
Everyone antis up and puts a chip in the middle. Next, the dealer deals one card to everyone. And this is where the twist is. Players can not look at their own cards. Instead, players lift the card to their forehead, face side out. This way they can see everyone else’s cards but have no idea what their own card is.
After looking at everyone’s cards, the player on the dealer’s right decides if he thinks he can win the hand. If he thinks he can, he puts a chip in the middle. If he thinks he can’t win, then he folds and takes his card down. He can then look at it and see if he made a good decision.
The play moves around to all the players. When it’s the dealer’s turn, she gets the last decision of in or fold. Next, everyone who is still in, takes down their card and sees who has the highest card. The player with high card collects all the chips in the middle.
Next, the dealer position rotates to the player on the first dealer’s left. Play continues as before.
Notes
Aces can be either high or low but are usually high. Just make sure to state which one at the beginning of the game.
The dealer position is important to rotate, as there is an advantage to going last.
To start this post, I said that a family member closed the blinds the first time we played Blind Poker. This is an important step as if there is a reflective surface, such as a window at night or a mirror, then cheating can occur.
Ties
In the case of a tie, then the players who have tie, split the pot in the middle. If there is an uneven number, the extra stays in the middle for the next winner.
Leaving the Game
When a player runs out of chips to antiup with then he is out of the game.
Winning Blind Poker
To win a player must be the last player with chips to bid with. Of course, this could take a long time. What usually happens is that a time limit is instilled, and you get to take home or eat whatever candy you have after the last round.
To be honest, anyone playing is a winner as Blind Poker is usually filled with loud banter and laughter.
What we like
Blind Poker is a great game for a large crowd. It made for the perfect Christmas party game with extended family and also at a teen birthday party. It also makes a great ice breaking activity. It can take as long or as short of time to play as you have. And best of all, there is no learning curve. It’s simple to explain and play and even grade school kids can play–and win.
What we don’t like
The only draw back to this game is that it does need something to bid with. As we use candy, it can sometimes mean that you need a lot of candy. But you could easily play with anything.
Online
There is no doubt that 2020 is like no other. We won’t be seeing extended family in person this year. However, I believe that Blind Poker can still be played virtually. All players would need a deck of cards and something to bid with. A sticky note is an extra supply you would need. This is for “closing the blinds”. Just cover up your square that shows your image on the screen so that you can’t cheat. Players would have to have a pile of chip for every player and keep track themselves. Then just play as normal by taking a card off the deck and putting it on your forehead. It might not be perfect, but the concept would be the same and in 2020 we need to find ways to bring fun and laugher into our lives.
Blind Fun
Blind Poker is a fun, easy game for most of the family. It’s simplicity and little set up makes it a prefect game for large group gatherings. So, draw those blinds and give Blind Poker a try.
If you need a god deck of cards, check out what playing cards here.
If you’re looking for more card games that are great for groups check out Play or Pay and Spoons. If you’re looking for more silly fun check out Big Chief Dice and our mini gold dice game Whacky Putt. be sure to visit our Family Game Shelf shop for tons of fun with seasonal and original games.
Looking for card games? Check out our card games here. For dice games, click here. And if you’re looking for some good games to play, read our reviews here.
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