What are Positions in Poker? A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

In poker, understanding your position at the poker table is a cornerstone of strategic play. Each seat, from the Under the Gun seats (UTG8, UTG7) to the Button (BN) to the Small and Big Blinds (SB and BB), carries distinct advantages and challenges that shape how you approach a hand. Position determines the order in which you act, directly impacting the information available to you. This guide explores the standard positions in an 8-handed Texas Hold’em game—Under the Gun (UTG8, UTG7), Lojack (LJ), Hijack (HJ), Cutoff (CO), Button (BN), Small Blind (SB), and Big Blind (BB)—providing clear definitions and strategic insights to elevate your game. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, understanding these positions is essential for making informed decisions and maximizing your success at the table.

Why Position Matters in Texas Hold’em

Position in poker is about information. The later you act in a betting round, the more you know about your opponents’ intentions, giving you a strategic edge. Early positions, like the UTG positions, require more cautious play because you act with no prior information and more players behind you left to act. Late positions, like the Button, encourage aggressive strategies due to the wealth of information gained from others’ actions and the benefit of playing the rest of the hand in position. This dynamic influences hand selection, betting, and overall strategy, making positional awareness a fundamental skill for any serious poker player.

Poker Positions in an 8-Handed Texas Hold’em Game

Below is a detailed breakdown of each position in an 8-handed Texas Hold’em game, including its definition, significance, and basic strategic considerations. The positions are listed in the order of action preflop, starting from the earliest.

1. Under the Gun (UTG8, UTG7)

Definition: The Under the Gun (UTG) players (UTG8, UTG7) sit immediately to the left of the Big Blind and are the first to act before the flop.
Significance: Acting first puts the under the gun players at a significant disadvantage, as no information is available about other players’ actions and the rest of the table is still left to act behind them. This position is referred to as being “under the gun” due to the lack of information on other players’ actions.
Strategy Implications: Plays the tightest opening range at the table, consisting of opening premium hands like high and medium pairs, suited aces, mid to high suited Kings, suited broadways, strong offsuit Aces and Kings as well as mixing in some suited connectors. With the rest of the table still to act behind, UTG positions should avoid marginal hands, as you have the risk of being out of position postflop, making it harder to control the pot or extract value.

Under the Gun Positions (UTG8, UTG7)

The players immediately first to act preflop, to the left of the big blind. The 8 and 7 refer to the number of players away from the big blind they are, starting with the big blind as 1 (e.g. UTG8 is the 8th player at the table, counting from 1 in the BB to the right around the table to 8)

2. Lojack (LJ)

Definition: The Lojack is the third player to act preflop, positioned to the left of the UTG players.
Significance: While still an early position, LJ has a slight advantage over the UTG players, as two players’ actions are known. However, with many players still to act, caution remains key.
Strategy Implications: Play a slightly more expanded range compared to the UTG positions. More marginal hands like mid suited one-gappers start to become playable (e.g. T8s, 97s)

Lojack (LJ)

The player third to act preflop, to the left of the UTG players. The LJ is the under the gun player at a 6-handed table and three players away from the Button (BN)

3. Hijack (HJ)

Definition: The Hijack is the fourth player to act preflop, sitting to the left of LJ.
Significance: HJ marks the transition to middle position, offering more flexibility due to fewer players acting afterward. You gain some information from the UTG players and LJ, allowing a broader range.
Strategy Implications: Can open an even wider range. Most or all pairs are now playable, depending on the stack size as well as weaker offsuit Aces, offsuit broadways and mid suited two-gappers like J8s and T7s.

Hijack (HJ)

The player fourth to act preflop, to the left of the LJ. The HJ is two players away from the Button (BN)

4. Cutoff (CO)

Definition: The Cutoff is the fifth player to act preflop, sitting to the left of HJ and acting just before the Button.
Significance: As a late position, CO provides a strong positional advantage, with only the Button and blinds acting afterward. While not quite as advantageous as the Button, it’s still an ideal spot for aggressive play and blind stealing.
Strategy Implications: A much wider opening range is now playable, consisting of almost all offsuit Aces, most or all suited Kings and Queens and weaker mid-suited gappers like J6s, T6s.

Cutoff (CO)

The player fifth to act preflop, to the left of the HJ. The CO is one player away from the Button (BN)

5. Button (BN)

Definition: The Button is the player with the dealer button, acting last preflop (except for the blinds) and gets to act last on all postflop streets, a huge advantage.
Significance: The Button is the most advantageous position, offering maximum information and the ability to act last on every betting round. You see all other players’ actions before deciding, making it the most profitable seat.
Strategy Implications: Plays aggressively, opening with around 50% of hands, including all offsuit Aces, most offsuit Kings, weaker offsuit gappers like Q8o, J8o, T7o and the vast majority of suited cards.

Button (BN)

The player sixth to act preflop, to the left of the CO. A white disc with “Dealer” on it marks the dealer’s position

6. Small Blind (SB)

Definition: The Small Blind is the player to the left of the Button, required to post the small blind (typically half the big blind).
Significance: The SB acts first on every postflop betting round, making it one of the least favorable positions. However, you act second-to-last preflop, and the small blind investment can incentivize defending a wider range after an open versus other positions.
Strategy Implications: Be selective, folding most hands when facing raises, especially from early positions, as you’ll be out of position postflop on every betting round. If folded to, the small blind does a lot of limping, particularly with deeper stacks.

Small Blind (SB)

The player acting second-to last preflop, to the left of the BN. The SB acts first on every postflop round.

7. Big Blind (BB)

Definition: The Big Blind is the player to the left of the Small Blind, required to post the big blind.
Significance: The BB acts last preflop, offering a preflop advantage, but generally acts first postflop, which is a disadvantage. The forced big blind bet means you’re often incentivized to defend with a wide range after another player opens the pot.
Strategy Implications: Defend against raises with a wide range, especially against late position opens, but be cautious postflop as you’ll generally be out of position and have a weaker range than your opponent. Adjust your calling range based on the raiser’s position and tendencies.

Big Blind (BB)

The player last to act preflop, to the left of the SB. The big blind defends with the widest range after another player opens, due to the odds given on a call by the forced big blind bet.

Positions in Context: 8-Handed vs. 6-Handed Tables and 9-Handed Tables

While this guide focuses on 8-handed tables (the most common online structure in modern poker), it’s worth noting positions in 6-handed (6-max) games, which are more common online and 9-handed (9-max) games, which are more common live.

In 6-max, the positions are:

Under the Gun (UTG)/Lojack (LJ): First to act preflop, like the UTG8 is in 8-max. LJ and UTG may be used interchangeably to refer to this position in 6-max games. Strategy implications are generally the same as the LJ in 8-handed games
Hijack (HJ): Second to act preflop, strategy similar to HJ in 8-max.
Cutoff (CO): Third to act preflop, strategy similar to CO in 8-max.
Button (BTN): Fourth to act preflop, strategy similar to BN in 8-max.
Small Blind (SB): Posts the small blind, strategy similar to SB in 8-max.
Big Blind (BB): Posts the big blind, strategy similar to BB in 8-max.

In 9-max, the positions are:

Under the Gun (UTG): First to act preflop, like the UTG8 is in 8-max. This may also be referred to as UTG9. This position plays slightly tighter than UTG8 would in 8-max play.
Under the Gun-8 (UTG8): Second to act preflop, strategy similar to UTG8 in 8-max.
Under the Gun-7 (UTG7): Third to act preflop, strategy similar to UTG7 in 8-max
Hijack (HJ): Fourth to act preflop, strategy similar to HJ in 8-max.
Cutoff (CO): Fifth to act preflop, strategy similar to CO in 8-max.
Button (BTN): Sixth to act preflop, strategy similar to BN in 8-max.
Small Blind (SB): Posts the small blind, strategy similar to SB in 8-max.
Big Blind (BB): Posts the big blind, strategy similar to BB in 8-max.

What positions are “early, middle and late position”?

Poker position terminology can vary, especially between 8-max, 9-max and 6-max games.

In general, excluding the blinds in 8-max and 9-max:

Early Position (EP): UTG/UTG9, UTG8, UTG7
Middle Position (MP): LJ, HJ may be referred to as MP or LP
Late Position (LP): BN, CO, HJ may be referred to as MP or LP

In general, excluding the blinds in 6-max:

Early Position (EP): UTG/LJ
Middle Position (MP): HJ
Late Position (LP): BN, CO

Note that the terminology may vary, and the terms of Early Position (EP), Middle Position (MP) and Late Position (LP) are used as general guidelines in poker to refer to positions and strategies as a “rule of thumb”.

Strategic Implications of Position

The importance of position stems from the information advantage it provides. Playing from the Button, over a very large number of hands, will win significantly more pots than early positions due to its ability to act last on every betting round. This advantage manifests in several ways:

Preflop Decision-Making: Late positions can raise with weaker hands, knowing they’ll have position postflop and leveraging the knowledge of the early positions’ actions being known. Early positions must be selective to avoid being exploited.
Postflop Control: Acting last allows you to control the pot size, bluff more effectively, and extract value from strong hands.
Blind Stealing: Late positions like CO and BTN can raise to steal blinds, especially against tight players in the SB and BB.
Defending Blinds: The BB can defend more liberally against late-position raises due to pot odds, but must play cautiously postflop.

Conclusion

Mastering poker positions in Texas Hold’em is a foundational skill for any player aiming to succeed. Each position—From the UTG positions, LJ, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, and BB—requires a tailored approach based on its informational and positional advantage or disadvantage. Early positions demand more caution, while late positions reward more aggression. By understanding these dynamics, you can make smarter decisions, exploit opponents’ weaknesses, and increase your profitability at the table.