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The Dead Button Position B. Asked: Last night I was at my local game. We were seven handed, and the player in 1st position knocked out both the dealer and small blind. With the button moving to the left on the next hand, it made the player who was just the big blind both the small blind and the dealer. We made him deal twice so he wouldn't skip the small blind. So, he was the big blind on the first hand in question, and then he was the small blind and dealer, then just the dealer. Did we play this scenario out the correct way?
Hi B.,
In my understanding of the situation, the button moves as it would have if the players were still there – no one misses their blind (nor do the blinds skip over anyone). Therefore, on the hand after the two players were eliminated, the button would be in a 'dead button' position, meaning it would be to the right of the small blind (the person who just posted the big blind) and no one would actually have the button in front of them.
The player who was in first (who knocked two people out) would now post the big blind. With the hand after this (the third hand in succession) the button would now be in front of the player who had just posted the small blind, and things would continue as normal.
The easiest way to deal with this kind of situation is to just move the button around as if the player who was just eliminated is still there for the rest of his blinds/button obligations. You definitely should not have given the button to the same player twice, or made the small blind the button.
Good luck at the tables!
- Coach
 
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