Poker

Poker positions

In poker, position is a player's seat relative to the dealer button and blinds, determining the order of action. Later positions have more information about opponents' decisions before acting.

Also called: Seat position, table position, dealer position
Applies to: Flop-style games like Texas hold'em and Omaha hold'em ¹²
Key categories: Early position, middle position, late position ¹
In a 9-player game: The first two to act are the small blind and big blind ¹

Key points

Players act clockwise; earlier positions act before more players have revealed their decisions ¹.
Being in position means acting after an opponent on a betting round; out of position means acting before that opponent ¹².
Position is a core strategic concept in Texas hold'em and Omaha, especially pre-flop and post-flop ³.
The worst position is under the gun (first to act pre-flop), while the best is the button (last to act) ¹.

Poker positions in a 9-handed game

Common seat labels from earliest to latest action.
Position	Label	Category
1	Small blind	Blind
2	Big blind	Blind
3	Under the gun (UTG)	Early
4	UTG+1	Early
5	UTG+2	Early
6	Lojack (LJ)	Middle
7	Hijack (HJ)	Middle
8	Cutoff (CO)	Late
9	Button (BTN)	Late

Common questions

What is the hijack position in poker?

The hijack is a middle position in a full-ring game, seated two to the right of the button. It offers more information than early positions but less than the cutoff or button. Players in the hijack can open with a wider range than those in early position.

Where this term is used

Poker

Not the same as

Out of position poker — a specific state of acting before an opponent, not the general seat/action order
Poker ranges by position — hand-selection strategies that vary by seat, not the seat itself
6-max poker positions — seat labels used in a six-handed game, not the general concept

Poker Out of position poker Explains the disadvantage of acting before an opponent on a betting round. Poker Poker ranges by position Covers how hand selection changes depending on seat position. Poker 6-max poker positions Describes the seat labels and strategy for six-handed games. Poker Full house poker Defines the full house hand ranking and its odds. Poker Pai gow poker Explains the rules and strategy of this casino table game. Poker Gto poker Introduces game theory optimal strategy in poker.

Sources

Position (poker) en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition of position, categories, and the 9-player example.
Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Confirms that position applies to flop-style games and defines in/out of position.
Texas hold 'em en.wikipedia.org Supports the application of position strategy in Texas hold'em.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.