Poker Positions

Poker is a game of strategy, anticipation, focus, and luck. While discussing strategies, players often discuss hand combinations and rankings, game variants, probability, and winning odds. However, poker positions are another crucial factor that most players don’t discuss as much. If you want to win big, grab the best seats at the table, and you can increase your winning odds even before the first card is dealt. So, what’s the best poker position to help you win big? Let’s dive right in and have the poker positions explained!

What are Poker Positions?

A typical poker table holds anywhere from two to nine players with each sitting next to one another on a round table. In layman's terms, poker positions refer to where you sit at the table. Depending on your table position in reference to the dealer button, you could have an early, middle, or late position, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

As poker games progress in a cyclic fashion, starting to the left of the dealer, the amount of information increases, and the game reaches the rightmost players. That’s what makes poker positioning crucial.

Why is Position Important in Poker?

Your poker position strategy can massively increase your odds of winning the pot. Here are some of the reasons that make poker positions on table so important:

Informational advantage:

As the players on the left make their move, the information available to the next players increases. Acting last helps you analyze all your opponent’s moves before deciding. Moreover, the information also gives you an idea of everyone’s hand strengths at the poker table.

Extract more value with each move:

As you have a better idea of the table’s collective strength, you can raise the bets when you sense a weakness or fold when you sense strength. This way, you can maximize your winning odds and profits, especially if you have the button position at the table.

Control the pot size:

You can solely control the pot size while being rational if you have a good poker position strategy. You can manipulate the pot size by being more aggressive if you hold strong hands or vice versa at the poker table.

Chances of free cards:

In certain poker variants, you may even get a free river card if you have a good poker position, which increases your hand strength at no additional cost at the table.

Better analysis of odds:

When you have a good poker position on the table, you can better judge the pot odds and make more informed decisions during the gameplay.

Understanding Different Positions in Poker

While poker tables can have any number of players from two to nine, we will focus on the two most prominent poker table settings: 6-handed and 9-handed tables. Here are the poker positions explained for both types of table settings.

Poker Positioning explained for 9-handed table

The poker position names on a full-fledged 9-handed table can be divided into early, middle, and late positions depending on your spot from the button. Let’s look into each of these positions and their specific names for a 9-handed table:

Early Positions - Under The Gun, UTG+1

As the player next to the big blind has to act first, starting the pre-flop round, this position becomes the most vulnerable one on the table, and its nomenclature does full justice to its massive disadvantages. Also known as the Under the Gun (UTG) position, you have the least information on the entire table, and you get to see numerous players betting after you in each round in this position.

The UTG+1, which is the player next to the UTG, is also one of the early positions. You have slightly more information than the UTG but it comes with similar disadvantages of not having information about other player’s hands before betting. Although the small blind becomes the first to act in post-flop rounds, the early positions of UTG and UTG+1 are amongst the worst poker positions to sit on a poker table. Due to this, you are restricted to playing with tight and strong hands due to the lack of information at the poker table.

Middle Positions - Middle Player, LoJack, HiJack

The three subsequent positions after the Under the Gun+1 position are called the middle positions on a full table. The first player to the next of UTG+1 is the middle player or MP-1. Subsequently, the Lojack (LJ) and the Hijack (HJ), also known as the MP-2 and MP-3, make up the middle position lineup. These positions are balanced with moderate advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, you can play with a slightly wider range of hands compared to the early positions.

Late Positions - Cutoff, Button

The late positions are the absolute best places to sit at a poker table. These positions include the Cutoff (CO), the player to the left of HJ, and the Button (BTN) position, the player next to the cutoff and directly to the right of the small blind.

As the Cutoff and the button are amongst the last to act in any betting round, these enjoy the widest range of hands. Moreover, you can become more aggressive and perform all kinds of bluffs as you have the best idea of everyone’s hands. Additionally, you can control the pot size and really push it if you sense weakness in your opponent’s hands.

Blinds - Small Blind, Big Blind

The blinds include the small blind (SB) and the big blind (BB) positions. The SB is seated to the left of the button and to the right of the BB. These players must bet mandatorily before seeing their cards, which is a disadvantage. Although the BB has a slight pre-flop advantage, the blinds are generally considered disadvantageous positions.

Poker Positioning explained for 6-handed table

Like the 9-handed table, the 6-handed table includes early, middle, and late positions. Let’s look at each of these poker position names in detail:

Early Positions - UTG

The UTG, or the player seated to the left of the big blind, is the early position on a short-handed table. The UTG faces similar disadvantages on a smaller table as on a 9-handed table, with less information about other players and restrictions on playing tighter hands.

Middle Positions - UTG+1

The UTG+1 is the middle position in a short-handed 6-player table. It is a more balanced option than the UTG and allows for slightly better handplay.

Late Positions - HJ, CO, BTN

There is no Lowjack in a short-handed table. The late positions include Hijack ((HJ), Cutoff (CO), and the Button (BTN) positions. These positions are the most advantageous positions on the table with amazing benefits of controlling the pot and the overall gameplay.

Blinds- SB, BB

Similar to the 9-handed table, there are two blind positions on a 6-handed table: the small blind (SB) and the big blind (BB). These positions have to bet before seeing their cards, which makes them somewhat disadvantageous.

What is the Role of the Dealer Button?

The dealer button plays a crucial role in determining the order of the play on a poker table. Here are some important functions of the dealer button:

Determining the Blinds:

Once the dealer button is identified, the two players on the left of it act as the small and big blinds.

Establishing the Order of Play:

In the pre-flop, the UTG has to act first and the UTG is determined from the dealer button’s position on the table. Moreover, in the post-flop rounds, the player to the left of the dealer button starts the action.

Identifying the dealer:

As the name suggests, the dealer button is the player seated right next to the dealer. The button helps the dealer identify the order of dealing the cards. In some home games, the dealer button may act as the dealer due to being last to make a move.

Strategies for Each Position

Now that we know the ins and outs of poker positions, we must know the best strategies for each position. As it is impossible to always have the late position privilege, here are the best strategies that increase your winning odds even if you get the early or middle positions in the game.

Early Position Strategies

Ah! So you’ve ended on what we have earlier called the worst positions on a poker table. Although it is true, you can still make it big if you play strong and tight hands. The best way out can be playing strong pairs like the 77+, AJ+, AQ+, and more. The strategy here is to play strong hands and rely as little as possible on guessing your opponent’s hands at the table.

You may think, if people always play strong hands from these positions, why shouldn’t I raise a wider range and exploit it to my advantage? That may work sometimes, but opponents will always play their strong hands against you and use the fact that you’ve played wider to your disadvantage during a showdown.

Middle Position Strategies

The middle positions let you play slightly wider hands than the restrictive early positions. The best strategy here would be to adopt a moderately aggressive raising strategy.

As the early positions often take strong hands, if you are up against an early position open, you should play really tight by only 3-betting your best hands. Moreover, you should avoid calling against an early position as they usually bet strong hands, which may leave you vulnerable to squeezes from the later positions at the table.

In case of raising from a later position, you should include hands like the A5s, AJo, 98s, and 87s. These hands substantially increase in value the later your position as these have only slight chances of being dominated by the opponent’s hands.

Late Position Strategies

If you want to do some fun stuff, you have to be playing the late position in poker. These positions allow for the widest hand ranges, maximizing the post-flop advantage and minimizing folding.

If you are in the HJ, you should play a slightly wider range than the middle positions, including the most suited connectors and suited Ax.

If you have the best seat on the table, Button, you can play the widest preflop to maximize your profits. You may include hands like offsuit Ax, Kx, Qx, and Jx, all connectors, and potentially some offsuits.

Next, if you are on the CO, you may raise wider hands than the HJ but slightly tighter hands than the button. Try including more Kx and Qx hands in your gameplay at the table.

Blinds

The blinds are also amongst the worst positions at the poker table, especially the small blind, as it has to mandatorily post a half-blind without even seeing their cards. For the SB, it makes more sense to opt for a 3-betting or folding approach to minimize the chances of playing hands. Opting for this strategy can help you potentially win the preflop or at least maintain the betting initiative.

For the big blind, you may opt for a call-heavy approach as you already have to mandatorily bet in the pot with a discount. You should opt for a tighter range if the raise comes from the earlier positions, but you may opt for a wider 3-betting strategy if the raise comes from the later positions at the table.

Advantages and Disadvantages of “Early Position”?

The early positions are arguably the worst seats on the poker table, as you don’t get any discount to enter the pot. Moreover, you have almost no information about the opponents in pre-flop and post-flop rounds.

Additionally, you have to play tighter hands even if players around you already know your tight hand strategy. You cannot play pretty hands like small pocket pairs, as you might be annihilated during a showdown.

Advantages and Disadvantages of “Middle Position”

Talking about the advantages of middle positions, you get the information of up to 4 players during the preflop rounds. This information allows you to make better-informed decisions, and you can start with a wider range than the early positions.

The disadvantage is that you need to keep your range under control as there are around an equal number of player to your right that haven’t made their moves yet.

Advantages and Disadvantages of “Late Position”

The late positions are the most advantageous as you have the best information about all your opponents. You may even use the seal strategy by playing extremely weak hands to later win the blinds without entering the post flops.

Moreover, even if you have to enter the post-flops, these late positions allow you to control the pot value with less strong hands.

Poker Positions Ranges

To simplify the strategies we mentioned earlier, here are the poker position ranges for each position. Although these are the best ranges, you should definitely improvise your range according to the ongoing action. Here is a poker position chart comprising the best ranges:

Best Poker Ranges for different Poker Positions

How to Use Position to Win More Money in Poker?

Your poker positioning strategy is a paramount factor in enhancing your winning odds. If you act later in the rounds, you can gain more information through your opponent’s actions and make informed decisions. Moreover, you can control the pot accordingly and play aggressively, especially if you sense weaker hands.

Moreover, you can use smart strategies such as well-timed bluffs and stealing the blinds and antes through your moves. Additionally, it becomes easier to adapt to sudden shifts in opponent strategies and further maximize profits.

Conclusion

Poker Positions play a massive role in deciding the course of your gameplay. It is generally more favorable to have later positions such as the HJ, CO, or the button. Even if you don’t have the best seats on the table, you can still make it big with the strategies mentioned above. Remember to play stronger hands if you end up in an early position. Strategies like stealing are great options if you enjoy a later position.