Hijack in Poker: What the HJ Position Is and How to Play It
By the PokerClimb team · Reviewed by Agustin Policano · Updated · 6 min read
The hijack (HJ) is the seat two places to the right of the button, just before the cutoff. At a 6-max table it acts second before the flop, after under the gun. It is a middle position: open around 19 to 23% of hands at 100bb, wider than UTG and tighter than the cutoff.
The hijack is one of those poker words that sounds like slang and turns out to be a precise position. It is also a useful seat to understand, because it sits right at the point where opening ranges start to widen.
Where the hijack sits
Count back from the button: the seat to its right is the cutoff, and the seat to the right of the cutoff is the hijack. Because positions are named from the button backwards, the hijack is the same seat relative to the button at every table size, and it always has four players left to act behind it before the flop: the cutoff, button, small blind and big blind.
| Table | Order of preflop action |
|---|---|
| 6-max | UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB |
| 8-handed | UTG, UTG+1, LJ, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB |
| 9-handed | UTG, UTG+1, UTG+2, LJ, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB |
For a full map of every seat, see our guide to poker positions, and for the exact hijack opening range, the preflop charts.
Why it is called the hijack
Stealing the blinds used to be the job of the cutoff and the button. The common story behind the name is that when the player in this seat opens first, they hijack that steal before the late positions get the chance. The term spread through online poker in the 2000s and is now standard everywhere.
Hijack vs lojack
The seat to the right of the hijack is the lojack (LJ), a pun on “hi” and “lo”. At a full table the lojack is a middle seat. At 6-max there are no seats before it, so the lojack is also the first to act: 6-max under the gun and the full-ring lojack are the same seat with five players behind.
How wide to open from the hijack
| Position | Players behind | Share of hands opened |
|---|---|---|
| UTG (6-max) / LJ | 5 | about 15 to 18% |
| Hijack | 4 | about 19 to 23% |
| Cutoff | 3 | about 26 to 30% |
| Button | 2 | about 40 to 48% |
Compared with under the gun, the hijack adds more suited hands: weaker suited aces, more suited kings and queens, and suited connectors like 87s and 76s. It also adds a few offsuit broadways such as ATo and KJo. Small offsuit hands and weak offsuit aces stay folded.
Hijack strategy after you open
- Expect 3-bets from the cutoff and button. They have position on you and attack middle-position opens. Have a plan before you open: which hands call, which 4-bet, which fold.
- Against the blinds, you have position. If both late seats fold and a blind calls, you play the rest of the hand in position, and your c-bets work well on high boards.
- Facing an open from UTG, the hijack plays tight. You still have three players behind you, so calling wide invites squeezes. Lean on 3-bets with strong hands and fold most of the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hijack in poker?
The hijack (HJ) is the seat two places to the right of the button, directly before the cutoff. At a 6-max table it is the second player to act before the flop.
Why is it called the hijack?
The usual explanation is that by opening first, the hijack steals, or hijacks, the chance to steal the blinds from the cutoff and the button, the seats that traditionally did the stealing.
Is the hijack early, middle or late position?
It is usually called middle position. It acts after the early seats but before the cutoff and button, which are the late positions.
What is the seat before the hijack called?
The lojack (LJ). The name is a play on hijack. At a 6-max table the lojack is the same seat as under the gun, the first to act preflop.
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