Poker Positions Explained: Names, Order and Why They Matter

Ask any winning player what separates them from a losing one and position will come up within the first minute. It is the cheapest edge in poker: you do not need to read anyone, calculate anything or take any risk. You just need to know where you are sitting and let that decide how many hands you play.

This guide covers every seat at the table, the order in which they act, why acting last is worth so much, and roughly how wide each position should open in a 6-max cash game.

Poker position names

Positions are named relative to the button, the dealer marker that moves one seat to the left after every hand. The two seats to its left post the blinds, and everyone else is named by how far they sit from the button.

You will sometimes see the 6-max UTG seat called the lojack (LJ), because at a full table that is the seat three to the right of the button. Same seat, different name, depending on whether the player is thinking in 6-max or 9-max terms.

Order of action, preflop and postflop

The order changes once the flop comes out, and that switch is the whole reason position matters.

• Preflop: UTG acts first, then HJ, CO, BTN, SB, and the big blind acts last. The blinds have already put money in, so the action starts to their left.
• Flop, turn and river: the first player still in the hand to the left of the button acts first. That is usually the small blind or big blind, and the button always acts last.

Why position matters so much

Acting last is not a small advantage. It shows up in at least four ways in every hand you play.

1. You see what your opponent does before you decide

A check, a small bet or a big bet all carry information. When you act last, you always get that information before you put money in. The player out of position has to commit first and guess.

2. You control the size of the pot

In position you can check behind with a medium hand to keep the pot small, or bet to build it with a strong one. Out of position, your opponent decides whether the pot grows.

3. You realize more of your equity

Equity is your share of the pot if all the cards were dealt out. Out of position you often get bet off a hand before you reach showdown, so you realize less of that share. In position you see more free cards and win more of the pots your hand deserves.

4. Your bluffs work better

When an opponent checks to you, they have often capped their hand. Betting into that weakness is cheaper and more successful than leading into a player who still has every option.

Opening ranges by position

Because position is worth so much, the right number of hands to open grows the closer you are to the button. UTG still has five players behind, any of whom may hold a strong hand and will have position on you. The button only has the two blinds to get through, and it will be in position against both.

Treat these as a map, not a rule book. Exact ranges move with stack depth, rake and the players behind you. The shape is what you need to remember: each step toward the button opens noticeably wider, and the button opens roughly two and a half times as many hands as UTG. See every seat’s full range, hand by hand, in our 6-max preflop charts.

Positions at 8-handed and 9-handed tables

Full-ring tables add early seats in front of the 6-max ones. The late seats and the blinds keep their names.

With more players behind you, early-position ranges at a full table get even tighter than the 6-max UTG range. Some players and sites call UTG+2 the middle position (MP).

How to play each position

Under the Gun

Open a tight, strong range and fold the rest. You will often be called or 3-bet by someone with position on you, so hands that play well after the flop matter more than hands that merely look pretty.

Hijack

Slightly wider than UTG. Suited connectors and suited kings start to become opens, because there are fewer players left who can wake up with a strong hand.

Cutoff

The first truly aggressive seat. If the button folds, you get position on the blinds for the rest of the hand, so you can open a wide range and start 3-betting opens from earlier seats more often.

Button

The money seat. Open wide, attack the blinds, and use your position after the flop: a well-timed continuation bet or check behind is worth more here than anywhere else.

Small blind

You have half a blind invested but will be out of position against everyone except the big blind. Many players use a raise-or-fold strategy here and lean on 3-bets rather than calls when someone has already opened.

Big blind

You close the preflop action and already have a full blind in, so you get a discount to call. That is why the big blind defends wider than any other seat against a single raise, especially against a small open from the button. Use pot odds to see exactly how good a price you are getting.

Frequently asked questions