Position is the order in which players act, and it is fixed for the whole hand after the flop. The player on the button acts last on every street, which means every decision they make is informed by what everyone else has already done.
No starting hand compensates for acting first against the whole table. That is why position, rather than card strength, is the first thing worth learning.
The Seats
| Short form | Seat | What it means in play |
|---|---|---|
| SB | Small blind | Posts the smaller forced bet and acts first on every street after the flop. |
| BB | Big blind | Posts the full opening bet and is last to act before the flop. |
| UTG | Under the gun | First to act before the flop, with eight players still to decide. |
| UTG+1 | Under the gun plus one | Still early position; opening ranges stay tight. |
| MP | Middle position | Fewer players behind, so slightly wider opens become reasonable. |
| LJ | Lojack | The seat two to the right of the cutoff, often grouped with middle position. |
| HJ | Hijack | Late position proper; steals start to become profitable here. |
| CO | Cutoff | Acts directly before the button and opens a wide range. |
| BTN | Button | Last to act on every post-flop street, the most profitable seat at the table. |
Shorter tables remove seats from the middle. A six-handed game keeps the blinds, the button, the cutoff and two early seats; a heads-up game has only the button and the big blind, with the button posting the small blind and acting first before the flop.
Why Acting Last Is Worth So Much
- Information: every check, bet and raise made before your turn narrows what the other players can hold.
- Pot control: a player in position can end a betting round by checking behind, which a player out of position cannot.
- Bluff selection: the cheapest bluffs are the ones made after everyone else has shown weakness.
- Value extraction: a thin value bet is far safer when there is no one left to raise.
How Ranges Widen
The number of players still to act is the reason ranges tighten in early seats. Opening under the gun means eight players may still wake up with a stronger hand; opening on the button means only two.
| Seat | Players left to act | Typical opening range |
|---|---|---|
| Under the gun | Eight | Around a tenth of hands: big pairs, strong broadways, best suited aces. |
| Middle position | Five or six | Roughly a seventh of hands, adding medium pairs and suited connectors. |
| Hijack | Three | Around a fifth of hands. |
| Cutoff | Two | A quarter to a third of hands. |
| Button | One (the blinds) | Up to half of all hands against passive blinds. |
| Small blind | One, and out of position afterwards | Tighter than the button despite acting later pre-flop. |
These proportions are conventions rather than rules, and they assume opponents who defend their blinds at a normal frequency. Against a table that folds constantly, every range widens; against one that three-bets often, every range tightens.
Position in Other Variants
- Pot-limit Omaha: position matters more, because pot-sized bets make being trapped out of position expensive.
- Seven-card stud: there is no button at all; the best exposed hand acts first, so position changes from street to street.
- Draw games: position decides who sees how many cards an opponent takes before deciding their own draw.
- Short-deck hold'em: the button posts a larger ante and acts last, which makes the seat even more valuable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the big blind in position after the flop?
No. The blinds act first on every street after the flop, which is why defending from the big blind requires a tighter range than the raw price suggests.
What is the cutoff?
The seat directly to the right of the button. It acts last whenever the button folds, which is why it opens a wide range.
Does position matter in heads-up play?
More than anywhere else. One player is in position for every hand after the flop, which is why the button posts the small blind to balance it.