Position in poker is the order in which players act during a betting round, and it is fixed by where you sit relative to the dealer button. The later you act, the more you have seen before you commit chips. That single fact explains why the button is the best seat at the table, why the first seat after the blinds is the hardest, and why strong players change the hands they play as the button moves round.
How the button sets the order
In Texas Hold'em and Omaha, a disc called the dealer button marks the nominal dealer and moves one seat clockwise after every hand. The two players to its left post forced bets, the small blind and the big blind. Before the flop, the first player to act is the one to the left of the big blind, and the action travels clockwise, so the blinds speak last on that opening round.
From the flop onwards the order resets. The first player still in the hand to the left of the button acts first, which means the button acts last on the flop, the turn and the river. Because the disc rotates, everyone spends time in every seat over a session. The good and bad seats are shared out evenly; what differs is how each player uses them.
The seats at a nine-handed table
Labels vary a little between card rooms, but most players group a full table like this:
| Where it sits | Common name | Group | Order after the flop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directly left of the button | Small blind (SB) | Blinds | First |
| Two seats left of the button | Big blind (BB) | Blinds | Second |
| First to act before the flop | Under the gun (UTG) | Early | Early |
| Next seat round | UTG+1 | Early | Early |
| Next seat round | UTG+2 / middle position | Middle | Middle |
| Next seat round | Lojack (LJ) | Middle | Middle |
| Two seats right of the button | Hijack (HJ) | Late | Late |
| Directly right of the button | Cutoff (CO) | Late | Late |
| The dealer seat | Button (BTN) | Late | Last |
At a six-handed table the early seats drop away. The first player to act pre-flop is usually called the lojack or, loosely, under the gun, followed by the hijack, the cutoff, the button and the two blinds.
Why acting last is worth so much
Every action before yours is a clue
A check, a bet or a fold tells you something about the hands still in play. The player on the button who watches three opponents check has far more to work with than the player who had to decide first with nothing to go on.
You decide how big the pot gets
Acting last lets you end a street cheaply. With a middling hand you can check behind and see the next card for nothing; with a strong one you can bet once the others have shown little interest.
Bets carry more weight
A bet from a late seat after everyone has checked has a decent chance of taking the pot at once, and a drawing hand can often take a free card instead of paying to see one. That is why seat comes first on most lists of conditions for a successful bluff.
Playing each group of seats
Early position: narrow and patient
Under the gun you act with up to eight players still to come, and any of them might hold a big hand. Careful players keep this range tight, mostly the higher pairs and the strongest high-card combinations near the top of the poker hand rankings, and accept that most deals end in a fold. Our piece on why letting go of a hand is harder than it looks covers the discipline that takes.
Middle position: a few more hands
With fewer opponents left to act, medium pairs and suited picture cards become reasonable opens. The chance of running into a monster behind you has shrunk, though it has not disappeared.
Late position: the widest range
The cutoff and the button can open many more hands, including suited connectors and weaker aces, especially when everyone in front has folded. The idea is to play more pots from the seats that will act last after the flop. A starting hand chart sorted by seat shows how much a sensible range widens from the first chair to the last.
The blinds: money in, position poor
Both blinds already have chips in the pot, so continuing costs less, and that tempts players to defend far too often. Yet both will act first on every street after the flop, which turns borderline hands into awkward ones. The big blind closes the pre-flop action and gets the best price, so it can defend a little more widely. The small blind must add more to continue and still has the big blind behind it.
Habits that cost players chips
- Playing the same hands from every seat, as if the order of play did not exist.
- Calling raises out of position with hands that are hard to steer after the flop.
- Defending the blinds out of habit because chips have already gone in.
- Forgetting that the blinds go from acting last before the flop to acting first after it.
- Limping on the button when everyone has folded, instead of raising or folding.
Quick questions
Is the big blind early or late position?
It depends on the street. Before the flop it acts last; after the flop it acts second, right behind the small blind, which makes it one of the weaker seats over a whole hand.
Why is it called under the gun?
The phrase captures the pressure of being first to decide before the flop, with the entire table still waiting to act behind you.
Does position matter as much in tournaments?
Often more. Short stacks get few chances to recover from a hand played from a bad seat, and rising blinds make every pot count. Our comparison of cash games and tournaments covers the other differences.
Poker for money is for adults only and is legal in some places but not others, so check the local rules before you sit down. A good seat sharpens your decisions; it does nothing to shield money you were not ready to lose.
Questions? Write to us.
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