While (1) I think the original question about who has which blind was directed toward the video game / bot being discussed, and while (2) the information below is generally true, there are some additional variations available.
I've played in games where the big blind and small blind are the same -- e.g., 5-5. I've also played in games (I think in California) where the button was also a third blind, although I don't recall the amount relative to the other two (customary) blinds.
There are games where one can voluntarily "straddle" (post a blind that is larger than the mandatory blinds) which is expensive, often unwise (especially if only available as an option under the gun, ie out of position), and a little tricky to play, although there are a few legitimate reasons for using a straddle nevertheless.
In cash games, the need to "post" a blind when one sits down at a table may vary by casino and game. I've sat down in games and posted, or offered to wait for my big blind, and have been told I don't need to do so. I'm sure if this is abused (as per the Slansky practice that was described in another post), then the rule would quickly change.
In most poker rooms, there is a list to get a seat at a game, and Slansky could not have sat down at any game he wished, see several hands without a blind, and then leave and go to any other game he wished -- although, if several games have open seats and there is no waiting list, he might have been able to do it.
Finally, re: antes, while cash games usually do not use antes, higher stakes games may do so, and tournaments usually introduce antes as well after several levels of blinds (the blinds increase at intervals in tournaments). The reason for using blinds and antes is partly to assure that there is some "action" to get each hand started, otherwise, many players would never put any money in the pot unless they had very good hands and/or just wanted to gamble in what is ordinarily regarded as a game of skill.
Almost all of what I've written does not apply to heads-up cash games, and although I'm not peraonally familiar with the video hold'em being discussed, it sounds like it's not applicable to that game as well.
I will agree that heads-up hold'em is a challenging game to play well, and that it is likely pretty easy to write software that can play at an expert level, especially if, as I wrote earlier, the various styles of play can be incorportated into the software and randomly changed to keep the player guessing. One of the skills in heads-up poker is identifying the style of your opponent, especially any identifiable aspects of his/her game that he/she is unaware of and therefore can't change at will. Since that's not in my skill set, I don't voluntarily play heads-up poker, although if I do well enough in a tournament to be among the last two players, I have no choice :) When that happens, I apply book knowledge and wish I had more experience.
--BG
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> >
> > The button is the SB and button preflop. He will
> act first preflop and last postflop.
> >
>
> Not exactly:
>
> The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of
> the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of
> blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three.
>
> The small blind is placed by the player to the left of the
> dealer button and the big blind is then posted by the next
> player to the left. The one exception is when there are only
> two players (a "heads-up" game), when the player on the
> button is the small blind, and the other player is the big
> blind. (Both the player and the bet may be referred to as
> big or small blind.)
>
> After the cards are dealt, the player to the left of the big
> blind is the first to act during the first betting round. If
> all players call the big blind, the big blind is then given
> an extra opportunity to raise. This is known as a live
> blind. If the live blind checks, the betting round then
> ends.
>
> Generally, the "big blind" is equal to the minimum bet. The
> "small blind" is normally half the big blind. In cases where
> posting exactly half the big blind is impractical due to the
> big blind being some odd-valued denomination, the small
> blind is rounded down to the nearest practical value. For
> example, if the big blind in a live table game is $3 then
> the small blind will usually be $1 or $2 since most casinos
> do not distribute large quantities of $0.50 poker chips.
>
> The blinds exist because Omaha and Texas hold 'em are
> frequently played without antes, allowing a player to fold
> his hand without placing a bet. The blind bets introduce a
> regular cost to take part in the game, thus inducing a
> player to enter pots in an attempt to compensate for that
> expense.
>
