What poker positions are
Poker positions are the seats at the table, named by where they sit relative to the dealer button. The button moves one seat clockwise after every hand, so every player takes every position in turn. Position decides the order of action: the closer you are to the right of the button, the later you act, and the later you act, the more you know when you make your decision.
Two orders matter. Before the flop the player left of the big blind (under the gun) acts first and the big blind acts last, because the blinds have already put money in. After the flop the first active player to the left of the button acts first, and the button acts last on the flop, turn and river. That is why the button is the best seat and the blinds are the worst once the community cards are out.
Key facts
- The button is the best position: it acts last on every street after the flop.
- The small blind is the worst post-flop position; under the gun is the worst pre-flop.
- Positions are grouped as early (play tight), middle (widen a little) and late (play the most hands).
- A 6-max table has UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB. A 9-max table adds UTG+1, UTG+2 and the lojack.
Poker positions at a 6-max table
Six-handed tables are the standard online format and the one Appeak Poker uses. Starting from the player under the gun and moving clockwise:
| Position | Group | Acts pre-flop | Acts post-flop | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under the gunUTG | Early | 1st | 4th | First to act before the flop with four players still to come. Open only strong hands. |
| HijackHJ | Middle | 2nd | 5th | Two seats before the button. Can open a wider range if the players behind are tight. |
| CutoffCO | Late | 3rd | 6th | One seat before the button. Good spot to raise and to steal the blinds. |
| ButtonBTN | Late | 4th | Last | The dealer seat. Acts last on the flop, turn and river: the most profitable position. |
| Small blindSB | Blind | 5th | 1st | Posts half a big blind. Acts first after the flop, so play tight and raise rather than call. |
| Big blindBB | Blind | Last | 2nd | Posts the full blind and acts last before the flop. Gets a discount to call, but is out of position after. |
With only six seats, every position is relatively “late”: under the gun at a 6-max table is the same seat as the lojack at a full-ring table, so ranges are wider across the board.
Poker positions at a 9-max table
Full-ring tables seat nine (sometimes ten) players. Three extra seats sit between the big blind and the hijack, and all three are early or middle positions where you should fold most hands.
| Position | Group | Acts pre-flop | Acts post-flop | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under the gunUTG | Early | 1st | 4th | First to act with eight players behind. The tightest seat. |
| Under the gun +1UTG+1 | Early | 2nd | 5th | Still early; seven players to come. |
| Under the gun +2UTG+2 | Early | 3rd | 6th | Sometimes called middle position 1 (MP1). Still a tight seat. |
| LojackLJ | Middle | 4th | 7th | Three seats before the button. The first seat where ranges start to widen. |
| HijackHJ | Middle | 5th | 8th | Two seats before the button. Named for “hijacking” steals from the cutoff and button. |
| CutoffCO | Late | 6th | 9th | One seat before the button. Raise wide if the button is tight. |
| ButtonBTN | Late | 7th | Last | Best seat at the table: last to act on every street after the flop. |
| Small blindSB | Blind | 8th | 1st | Half a blind posted, first to act after the flop. |
| Big blindBB | Blind | Last | 2nd | Full blind posted, last to act pre-flop, second after the flop. |
Names vary slightly between rooms: UTG+2 is sometimes called MP1, and the lojack is sometimes MP2 or “middle position”. The order of action is what matters, not the label.
Early, middle and late position
Players rarely think in nine separate seats. They think in three groups, plus the blinds.
- Early position
- UTG, UTG+1, UTG+2 (at 6-max, just UTG). Many players still to act behind you, so a raise can run into a stronger hand. Open only hands that play well against a re-raise: big pairs, big suited aces, A-K and A-Q.
- Middle position
- Lojack and hijack (at 6-max, the hijack). Fewer players behind, so add medium pairs, suited broadway cards and suited connectors. Fold most of these to a raise from early position.
- Late position
- Cutoff and button. You will act last after the flop, so you can open far more hands, steal the blinds and play speculative hands cheaply. The button opens roughly three times as many hands as under the gun.
- The blinds
- Small blind and big blind act last pre-flop but first post-flop. You already have money in, so defend reasonably against small raises, but do not call out of position with weak hands just because it is “cheap”.
Why position matters so much
Acting last is worth money on every street, for five concrete reasons.
- Information. You see checks, bets and sizes from everyone before you decide. Poker is a game of incomplete information, and position gives you the most of it.
- Pot control. In position you can check behind to keep the pot small with a medium hand, or bet to grow it with a strong one. Out of position, your opponent makes that choice.
- Free cards. With a draw, checking behind on the turn gets you the river for free. Out of position you have to bet to deny that, or risk facing a bet.
- Cheaper, better bluffs. When everyone checks to you, a single bet often takes the pot. The same bluff from early position gets called or raised far more often.
- Accurate odds. Acting last you know the final bet size on that street, so you can compare the price to call with your outs. Acting first you are guessing what comes after.
Count your outs and compare them with the price using our poker hand calculator, which shows win, tie and lose odds for any two hands on any board.
How to play each position
- Under the gunRaise your strongest hands and fold the rest. Never limp: a limp from UTG invites raises you cannot call. Expect to play the hand out of position against late-seat callers.
- Lojack and hijackAdd medium pairs and suited connectors, but respect raises from the early seats. The hijack is the first seat where stealing the blinds becomes a real plan if the cutoff and button are tight.
- CutoffRaise wide when the button folds a lot, because you become the de facto button. Against an aggressive button, tighten up: a 3-bet behind you puts you out of position with a mediocre hand.
- ButtonOpen the widest range at the table, call raises with suited and connected hands, and bet when the action is checked to you. Every hand you play from here is in position.
- Small blindRaise or fold; calling leaves you out of position with half a blind invested. Against a single raise, 3-bet your good hands and fold the marginal ones.
- Big blindYou act last pre-flop and get a discount, so defend against small raises with pairs, suited hands and connectors. After the flop, play carefully: check-call with medium hands rather than leading into the raiser.
Opening ranges by position (6-max)
Typical first-in raising ranges for a no-limit Hold’em cash game with 100 big blinds. They are a starting point, not a rulebook: tighten against aggressive 3-bettors behind you, widen against tight ones.
| Seat | Hands opened | Range (cumulative) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG | about 15% | 7-7+, A-10s+, K-Qs, A-Js+, A-Qo+, K-Qo | Raise or fold; no limping. |
| HJ | about 20% | adds 5-5, 6-6, A-9s, K-Js, Q-Js, J-10s, A-Jo | Raise; fold to a 3-bet without a premium. |
| CO | about 27% | adds all pairs, suited aces, suited connectors 7-6s+, K-10s, Q-10s, A-10o, K-Jo | Raise; steal the blinds often. |
| BTN | about 45% | adds suited kings and queens, one-gappers, A-2o+, K-9o, Q-10o, J-10o | Widest range at the table. |
| SB | about 35% | raise the hands you would open from the CO plus some more | Raise or fold, avoid limping. |
| BB | defend wide | call with most suited hands, pairs and connected cards against one raise | You already paid; call or 3-bet, rarely fold to a small raise. |
At a 9-max table shift everything one or two seats later: UTG, UTG+1 and UTG+2 use the 6-max UTG range, the lojack and hijack use the hijack range, and the cutoff and button stay the same. “s” means suited, “o” means offsuit; “+” means that hand and better. For what beats what at showdown, see the hand rankings.
Common position mistakes
- Playing the same hands from every seat. K-10 offsuit is a raise on the button and a fold under the gun.
- Limping from early position. It gives late players a cheap look while you play out of position.
- Calling from the small blind. Half a blind is not a discount worth playing the whole hand out of position for.
- Defending the big blind with anything. You are out of position after the flop; defend connected and suited hands, fold the junk.
- Ignoring who is still to act. A cutoff raise with the button folding is very different from one with an aggressive 3-bettor on the button.
New to the game? The Texas Hold’em rules cover the blinds and betting rounds, and the beginner’s guide builds position into a simple first strategy. You can practise all six seats at free 6-max tables in Appeak Poker.
Poker positions FAQ
What are the positions in poker?
Poker positions are the seats at the table named by where they sit relative to the dealer button. At a 9-max table they are, in order of action before the flop: under the gun (UTG), UTG+1, UTG+2, lojack (LJ), hijack (HJ), cutoff (CO), button (BTN), small blind (SB) and big blind (BB). A 6-max table drops the three middle seats and keeps UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB and BB.
What is the best position in poker?
The button. The player on the button acts last on the flop, turn and river, so they see what everyone else does before deciding. That extra information makes the button the most profitable seat; most players win more money from the button than from any other seat.
What is the worst position in poker?
The small blind. It has to put in money before seeing cards and is first to act on every street after the flop. Under the gun is the worst seat before the flop, because it acts first with the whole table still to speak, but after the flop the blinds are in the worst spot.
What does under the gun mean in poker?
Under the gun (UTG) is the seat directly to the left of the big blind. It is the first player to act before the flop. The name means being under pressure: every other player gets to see what UTG does before deciding.
What is the hijack in poker?
The hijack (HJ) is the seat two places to the right of the button, immediately before the cutoff. It was named for raising ahead of the cutoff and button to “hijack” their steal attempts. At a 6-max table it is the second seat to act.
What is the cutoff in poker?
The cutoff (CO) is the seat immediately to the right of the button. It is a late position: only the button and the blinds act after it before the flop. When the button folds, the cutoff plays the rest of the hand in position.
What is the lojack?
The lojack (LJ) is the seat three places to the right of the button, just before the hijack. It exists only at full-ring tables (8 or 9 players) and counts as middle position.
What does “in position” and “out of position” mean?
You are in position when you act after your opponent on each betting round after the flop; you are out of position when you act before them. The player closest to the button’s left side acts first, so the button is always in position against everyone.
Who acts first in poker?
Before the flop, the player under the gun (left of the big blind) acts first and the big blind acts last. On the flop, turn and river, the first active player to the left of the button acts first (usually the small blind) and the button acts last.
Does position matter in tournaments as much as in cash games?
Yes, and late in a tournament it matters even more, because short stacks and antes make blind steals from the cutoff and button a large part of how chips are won. The order of action and the value of acting last are the same in both formats.