Blind man's bluff (poker)

Blind Man's Bluff is a poker variant where one or more players are required to play a portion of the hand, or the entire hand, without looking at their cards. This adds a significant element of chance and deception to the game, as these players must bet and make decisions based solely on the actions and tells of other players.

Typically, the player designated to play "blind" is chosen randomly or as part of a pre-agreed rotation. The specific rules governing how much of the hand they must play blind can vary. They might have to make the initial bets blind, or they might have to play through to the showdown without ever looking at their cards.

The intention behind playing blind is multifaceted. It can be a way to spice up a game and introduce a higher level of risk and reward. It also creates opportunities for bluffing, both by the player who is blind and by other players who can attempt to exploit the blind player's lack of information.

The blind player must still adhere to the betting rules of the specific poker game being played (e.g., Texas Hold'em, Five Card Draw) even though they are unaware of their hand. This means they must call, raise, or fold according to the betting structure and the actions of the other players. The risk of playing blind is that the player could be betting on a very poor hand, or even be betting into a much stronger hand held by another player. However, the potential reward is that they can win a large pot without revealing any information about their cards, and potentially sow confusion among their opponents.

The strategic considerations in Blind Man's Bluff are different from standard poker. Other players often try to read the reactions of the blind player to discern something about their unknown hand, or conversely, use false tells to mislead the blind player.