The seats at a 9-player table
Listed in the order they act before the flop.
| Seat | Short name | Where it is | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under the gun | UTG | Left of the big blind; first to act pre-flop | Early |
| Under the gun +1 | UTG+1 | Next seat left | Early |
| Middle position | MP | Next seat left | Middle |
| Lojack | LJ | Three seats right of the button | Middle |
| Hijack | HJ | Two seats right of the button | Late |
| Cutoff | CO | Directly right of the button | Late |
| Button | BTN | The dealer; last to act after the flop | Late |
| Small blind | SB | Left of the button; posts the small blind | Blinds |
| Big blind | BB | Two left of the button; last to act pre-flop | Blinds |
With fewer players, remove seats from the early positions first. Six-handed, the seats are UTG, hijack, cutoff, button, small blind and big blind.
Who acts first?
- Before the flop: under the gun acts first and the big blind acts last.
- On the flop, turn and river: the first player still in the hand left of the button acts first (usually the small blind), and the button acts last.
Why acting last is worth chips
- Information. You see whether opponents checked, bet or raised before you decide.
- Control of the pot size. You can check behind to see a free card, or bet when others show weakness.
- Cheaper bluffs. When everyone checks to you, a bet often wins the pot right away.
That is why good players play more starting hands from the cutoff and button and fewer from early position.
The blinds: the worst seats
The small and big blind have money in the pot before seeing cards and will act first on every later street. Defend the big blind with reasonable hands because you are getting a discount, but do not fall in love with weak hands out of position.
Common position mistakes
- Playing the same hands from every seat. A hand that is a fine raise on the button is often a fold under the gun.
- Calling raises from the small blind with marginal hands. You will be first to act for the rest of the hand.
- Forgetting that position is relative. What matters after the flop is whether you act before or after the players still in the hand, not your seat name.
Keeping track of the button at home
Use any object as the dealer button and move it one seat left after every hand; the blinds follow it. At a table run on EasyPoker, players post the blinds from their own phones, and the host sets the current blind level so everyone sees the same amounts.