Poker position refers to the order in which players must act during each betting round, influencing their strategy. The later a player acts (in position), the more information they have about the actions of others, giving them an advantage.
Each position at the table has a specific name.
Before the flop, the first player to act is the one to the left of the big blind, in the "Under The Gun" (UTG) position. The other players follow clockwise.
After the flop, the order changes: the small blind acts first, followed by the big blind and the other players. The button plays last, giving them a strategic advantage by observing the actions before deciding.
Your position is important in adjusting the hands you play with.
Recommended resource: Preflop hand charts.
In 6-max (6-player table), the positions are as follows:
Each position falls into one of the four categories:
<span class="inarticle_section">ℹ️ The term "Under The Gun" refers to the positional disadvantage. Literally, it means "under the gun," or more loosely, "under pressure".</span>
<span class="inarticle_section">ℹ️ The term "Button" comes from the large token used to designate the dealer in games without a dealer. The "Cut-off" gets its name from the player who "cuts" the cards in those same games.</span>
Note: This classification of poker positions, although useful, is not an exact science. The terms "early," "middle," and "late" positions remain somewhat vague. This classification simply helps to better understand table dynamics and to adapt accordingly.
Being in position allows you to act after the others, which is a huge advantage. You see their actions before making your decision, giving you information about the strength of their hands or their intentions.
However, be careful, as sometimes a player may pretend to check to induce you to bet, setting a trap. But in most cases, multiple checks on the flop and turn suggest a weak hand.
In position, you can “slow down” the hand by choosing to check or make a small bet. This is useful if you have a decent but vulnerable hand, especially against aggressive players. It allows you to stay in the hand while avoiding costly decisions.
For example, if you're on the button with 9♠️ 9♦️ on a 6🍀 K♦️ 2♥️ flop and your opponent checks, it's often wise to check as well to control the pot. Even though you have a good hand, your opponent might have a King, which could put you in trouble. By checking, you avoid inflating the pot and keep control, allowing you to reevaluate on the turn without risking too much money in a pot where you could be behind.
Position is an asset for successful bluffs, as it allows you to act last and take the lead, even with weak hands. You can bluff more easily, even without a strong hand.
<span class="inarticle_section">🔎 The advantage of position often compensates for this lack of strength, as you control the hand and put pressure on your opponents.</span>
For example, you open from the button with 6♠️ 5♠️, and the BB calls. The flop comes K🍀 8♦️ 2♠️, and your opponent in the BB checks. This is the perfect time to bet, making them believe you have a strong hand like a King. If the turn brings an A♥️, that's an excellent card to continue your bluff. The Ace reinforces the idea that you have a strong hand like AK, KQ, or AQ. By betting again, you increase the pressure on your opponent, possibly forcing them to fold, even though your hand hasn't improved.
A great advantage of being in position is the ability to see free cards when you have a speculative hand, like a draw. By acting last, you can check behind your opponents, allowing you to see the next card without investing more into the pot. This is especially helpful when you want to improve your hand without risking too many chips.
For example, if you're on the button with A♠️ 7♠️ and the flop comes 9♠️ 4♠️ K♦️, you have a flush draw. If the players before you check, you can also check to see the turn for free and try to hit your flush without spending more chips.
If you were out of position, like in the small blind, an opponent could bet after your check, forcing you to pay a high price to see the turn. In position, you avoid that risk and can continue playing your draw under better conditions.
Position helps you better calculate pot odds, because you have all the information before deciding. When you're in position and your opponent bets, you can see if the bet size makes calling profitable based on the odds of your draw. No one can raise after you, so the amount you need to pay won't change.
Recommended article: Calculating Pot Odds in Poker: A Beginner's Guide.
When you're one of the first to act, caution is key. Play only the strongest hands because you have little information on the actions of other players. Betting with a weak hand, like 68, in this position is risky.
<span class="inarticle_section">♟️ The strategy in early position is to focus on the strongest hands and limit bluffs.</span>
These positions offer a bit more flexibility. You have information on the actions of players before you and can already adjust your play accordingly.
<span class="inarticle_section">♟️ The strategy here is to slightly widen your starting hand range compared to early positions.</span>
The Cut-off is an ideal position to start taking calculated risks. With fewer players after you, the potential to "steal the blinds" increases. The Button is the most advantageous position. You act last post-flop, giving you maximum control to observe and manipulate the pot.
<span class="inarticle_section">♟️ Play an even wider range of hands. Use your position to put pressure on the blinds and steal pots with weaker hands. Bluff more frequently post-flop by leveraging your positional advantage.</span>
Although the blinds are in late position pre-flop, they are the first to act post-flop, which is a disadvantage.
<span class="inarticle_section">♟️ Be very selective with the hands you play from the blinds. Defend your Big Blind with a reasonable range against potential steals, but don't commit too much with marginal hands. In the Small Blind, avoid playing too many hands, as you will be in a very disadvantaged position for the entire hand.</span>
Recommended resource: Preflop Range Library.
If you have the opportunity to choose your seat at the table, such as in live games with friends, selecting your position based on the skills of other players can influence your winnings.
Ideally, you want to be to the left of stronger players (so you have the positional advantage over them) and to the right of less experienced players, to take advantage of their mistakes.
As you've likely understood, late positions, especially the Button, are the most profitable. Acting last gives you more control over the pot size and your bluffing decisions, allowing you to adjust your play precisely according to your opponents' actions.
To illustrate this, if you're still not convinced, here are two profit graphs from a good regular player: one for the Button, the other for the Small Blind:
These graphs show us that even a good player struggles to make significant gains from the Small Blind unlike when they are on the Button.
