This article covers the player positions at a poker table, as well as the order of action and why acting later is an advantage.
Player positions
Under the gun (UTG, UTG+1, UTG+2)
The player to the left of the Big Blind is called the UTG player. The UTG player is the first to act preflop. In games with many players, we refer to the next two players as UTG+1 and UTG+2.
Lojack (LJ)
The player that acts before the Hijack. In a 6-max game, LJ is the same as UTG.
Hijack (HJ)
The player that acts before the Cutoff.
Cutoff (CO)
The player that acts before the Dealer button.
Dealer/button (BTN)
The player with the Dealer button is the last to act postflop. This is the strongest position because it guarantees last action on every postflop street.
Small blind (SB)
Before receiving their cards, SB posts a forced bet, typically half a big blind. The SB player is the first player to act postflop.
Big blind (BB)
Before receiving their cards, BB posts a forced bet of one big blind. The BB player is the second player to act postflop.
Heads-up positions (2 players)
Heads-up play is the one special case where the Small Blind is also the Button. The Small Blind player acts first preflop and last postflop, while the Big Blind player acts second preflop and first postflop.
Why position matters
Position matters because poker is a game of incomplete information. Acting later lets you see what the players before you do, which helps you make better decisions about whether to enter the pot, how much to bet, and whether to continue.
Position also affects range construction. Early position opens into more players and therefore needs to be tighter. Late position acts after most of the table and can open wider because fewer players remain left to act.
In postflop discussion, players often shorten this to IP, meaning in position and acting last postflop, and OOP, meaning out of position and not acting last. In multiway pots, more than one player can be OOP.
Early position
Early position includes the first seats to act preflop, especially UTG. These seats should use the tightest opening ranges because they face the most players behind them.
Middle position
Middle position sits between the early-position seats and the late-position seats. They can generally open a bit wider, but still must respect the fact that there are multiple players left to act.
Late position
Late position includes the Hijack (sometimes), Cutoff, and Button. These seats can usually open wider, defend more flexibly, and apply more pressure postflop because they act after more information is available.
Common position mistakes
- Treating the Button and UTG as if they should play the same ranges
- Assuming position only matters before the flop
- Using 6-max labels at 9-handed tables without adjusting ranges
- Overvaluing hands from early position
Key takeaways
Position is one of the most important concepts in poker because it controls information and action order.
If you understand the impact of position, you can build better ranges and enter the pot when it is advantageous to do so.