The game of poker is about so much more than the cards each player holds. The back-and-forth betting rounds offer savvy players an opportunity to outplay their opponents even with inferior cards, and the concept of poker position is central to understanding how to do this. In this Stones Gambling Hall poker and table games blog, we explore all things poker position.
Poker Table Positions and Names, Explained
Table position is so important that poker position names have emerged to describe each seat, along with poker position charts and a position poker strategy for how to play from each position. Poker order is always about who acts first, so it’s constantly fluid as the hands progress. This breakdown will cover an eight-player table.
Early Position – Under the Gun
In a game like Texas Hold’em, the first two players in a hand are forced to ante, but are the last to act in the first round of betting. The first person to act in round one is the player called under the gun. This person has no information whatsoever about the strength of their opponents’ hands when forced to bet, and will also be betting before most opponents in later betting rounds.
Early Position – Under the Gun +1
The next position is called under the gun +1, and like the under the gun position will be betting first with very little information and will be at a disadvantage in later rounds most of the time.
Middle Position – Lowjack
The lowjack position is next, and this player gets a little bit more information before deciding on an initial bet. Also, there are now four players who could enter the hand and would be betting before this position versus three who could enter and bet later.
Middle Position – Hijack
The hijack is the next to act, and this seat can potentially be strong. If the next two players fold their hand, the hijack will be betting last in future rounds. However, the initial bet is still somewhat blind for the hijack, with four players having given no information about their hand.
Late Position – Cutoff
The cutoff is next, and is the second-best position in a hand of poker. Only three hands have given no information about their hand, and there’s only one position that can possibly bet after the cutoff in future rounds.
Late Position – Button
The button is the best of the poker positions, guaranteed to be the last to act in every future round of betting. Additionally, only two out of seven of the other hands haven’t acted, meaning the button also makes their initial bet with a good deal of information.
Late Position – Small Blind
The second-to-last player to act in the first round of betting is the small blind. The good news is that all but one player has given initial information via their bets, but the bad news is that the small blind will always be first to act in future rounds.
Late Position – Big Blind
The big blind is the last to act and has already put in a full bet. Sometimes, this means the big blind would have the option to check and a free future round if no one raised. However, in future rounds, the big blind is nearly always acting first.
Key Strategic Points About Position
In any round of betting, the advantage always goes to the last person to act. Their opponents have already given information about their strength, and the last to act has revealed nothing.
This makes the button the best position, and a player can play a wider range of hands from the button. The cutoff is another very strong position, and it’s customary to see a player from the cutoff make a raise, hoping that the button will fold and make the cutoff the last to act.
In contrast, early positions have a difficult time in later rounds due to having to act first. As a general rule, you want to play a smaller range of hands and make sure you’re getting in with strength when playing from early positions.
Finally, the big and small blinds are required to put in a full and half bet, respectively. This does offer them a discount when it comes to calling bets or raises. A big or small blind may also be able to read weakness in the first round of betting and try to take a pot in the first round of betting with a strong raise. But these positions are going to be in a tough spot as the first to act in later rounds, so this can be a risky approach.
What Does In Position Mean in Poker?
Anytime a player acts after their opponent or opponents, that player is said to be in position. What’s in position in poker is a relative definition: A player may be out of position, but if another player folds, the first player may find themselves in position now.
Understanding poker positions is key to developing as a player. The type of hands you play and the way you play them should vary based on your position, and you should also be accounting for position when thinking about what your opponents might be holding.
