Kill Game (poker) - The Kill Blind

The Kill Blind

The player who activates the kill hand must post an additional blind, called the kill blind. The kill blind can thus be posted from any position at the table including "in the blinds" or "on the button". The amount posted is most often twice the normal big blind or small bet for that game, known as a "full kill". For example, in a $20/$40 limit game, the large blind and small bet are $20. The full kill blind for such a game would be $40.

The kill blind is usually a "live" bet (counting toward the amount of any bet to the player). This may additionally mean that the person posting the kill blind has the privilege of last action (the "option"), instead of the person in the big blind. For example, in a five-handed game where player E has the kill button and player A is the dealer, the order of action would be player D, player A (dealer), player B (the small blind), player C (the big blind), player E (the kill blind). After the first round, betting returns to normal.

There are three common options for dealing with a player in the blinds who must also pay the kill blind. First, they may pay only the kill blind and their scheduled blind is not posted. Second, the player may be required to post both their scheduled blind and the kill blind for that hand, with only the kill blind being "live" for determining that player's bet amount (this method adds an extra element of risk to the player "under the gun"). Lastly, the player may post their kill blind in this hand, and then "owe" their scheduled blind in the next hand when they no longer have to post the kill blind, similar to the moving button rule of blinds busting out. This can cause a shifting of all blinds to a player who triggered a kill while "under the gun"; the player would first post the kill blind when the big blind was due, then in the next hand (assuming they didn't have to pay the kill blind again) they would pay their big blind instead of the small blind that is now due. On the third hand, with the player on the button, the small blind would be paid and the player is now "caught up".