A Complete Guide to Poker Table Positions

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Professional poker player Alec Torelli explains poker positions & which ones have the biggest advantage

Co-authored by Alec Torelli and Samantha Fulton, BA

Last Updated: June 12, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Poker Positions Explained
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• Poker Groups
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• Advantaged Positions
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• Why Position Matters
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• Poker Position Strategies
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• Video

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If you’re ready to try your hand at poker, you’ll need to know about the different positions at a poker table. It may seem a bit confusing, but don’t fret. We’ve partnered with a professional poker player to explain poker positions and their advantages. In this guide, we’ll provide a breakdown of the poker positions for a 9-handed table and the poker position groups (early, middle, late, blinds). Plus, keep reading to find out the most advantaged poker positions and more!

Poker Positions Diagram

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Professional poker player Alec Torelli says poker positions can be split into 4 groups, with the late position group generally being most advantaged and early position and blinds generally being least advantaged. Here’s the full breakdown:

• Late Position: Cutoff, Button
• Middle Position: Lojack, Hijack
• Early Position: Under-the-Gun (UTG), UTG + 1, UTG + 2
• Blinds: Small Blind, Big Blind

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Section 1 of 5:

Poker Positions for a 9-Handed Table

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   The Button According to Torelli, the button “acts last in all betting rounds.” The name comes from the dealer button in front of their position at the table. The dealer deals to the button first. The button’s primary function is “to determine the order of play,” notes Torelli.

   • Strategy: “Play your widest range and use position to pressure opponents, bluff, and value bet thinner,” Torelli suggests.
   • Group: Late Position (more on poker position groups later!)
   • 9-handed poker games you can try out include Texas Hold’em and Omaha.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Alec Torelli is a professional high-stakes poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has over 20 years of experience and has earned over $2.7 million in tournaments.
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   Small Blind This is the player to the left of the dealer button. “They provide the starting mandatory bet,” says Torelli. “They must place it into the pot before the cards are dealt.”

   • Strategy: “Don’t complete too many weak hands,” says Torelli. “You’ll usually be out of position, which makes everything harder. Reraise if your hand is strong enough to play.” He adds, “When action folds to you, raising can be profitable because you only have the big blind left to beat. But against raises, you should be selective.”
   • Group: Blinds
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   Big Blind The big blind is to the left of the small blind. According to Torelli, “They place a larger, forced bet—typically twice that of the small blind.” For instance, if the small blind bet $1, the big blind would usually bet $2. That means “you’re getting a discount to call,” Torelli explains. And “you are closing the action, which means you are guaranteed to see the flop if you call.”

   • Strategy: “Don’t call just because you’re getting a discount,” Torelli advises. As the big blind, “you can defend wider, especially against late-position raises.” But he cautions, “wider does not mean any two cards. You still need to consider the raise size, opener’s position, your hand’s playability, and how well you’ll navigate postflop.”
   • Group: Blinds
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   Under-the-Gun Under-the-gun (UTG) is the position to the left of the big blind. “It means you’re the first to act preflop,” explains Torelli. (The “flop” refers to the first three community cards dealt.) He notes that this position means you have the least amount of information and places you at a disadvantage for the entire hand.

   • “When you raise from under the gun, there are 8 players left to act behind you,” Torelli continues. “You don’t know if someone else has a big hand, who may re-raise, or who may call and have position on you after the flop.”
   • Strategy: “Play tight and open strong hands,” says Torelli. “You have the least information, so avoid marginal spots.”
   • Group: Early Position
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   Under-the-Gun + 1 This is the position to the left of under-the-gun. That means you’re the second player to act preflop. Just like UTG, this position is relatively disadvantaged because of how many players can act after them. If you decide to play a hand, it should be a fairly substantial holding.

   • Strategy: Torelli says you can open a little wider than Under-the-Gun, but stay disciplined.
   • Group: Early Position
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   Under-the-Gun + 2 (or Middle) Just like it sounds, this is the position two to the left of under-the-gun. UTG + 2 is the third player to act in the preflop betting round. It is considered a disadvantaged position because of the limited information. It requires a tight range of starting hands.

   • Strategy: “This is still an early spot,” cautions Torelli, so don’t play too wide.
   • Group: Early to Middle Position
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   Lojack To the left of UTG + 2, this position is the fourth to act. This position has more of an advantage than those in UTG positions but still faces the disadvantage of multiple players after them. The name comes from its relation to the position after it, the hijack.

   • Strategy: “Start expanding your range, but remember the best seats are still behind you,” says Torelli.
   • Group: Middle Position
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   Hijack “The hijack is especially interesting because it’s where you can start ‘hijacking’ the late-position advantage before the cutoff and button get to act,” says Torelli. If they act aggressively, they may be able to get the late positions to fold.

   • Strategy: “Begin applying pressure, especially if the cutoff, button, and blinds are tight,” says Torelli.
   • Group: Middle to Late Position
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   Cutoff The cutoff is the seat immediately to the right of the dealer. “The cutoff is a strong seat because you only have the button and blinds left behind you,” says Torelli. “If the button is tight, you can open more hands.”

   • Strategy: “Steal blinds more often,” says Torelli, “especially when the button is not aggressive.”
   • Group: Late Position
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Section 2 of 5:

What are the poker position groups?

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1. 
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   Early Position Early position refers to the seats to the immediate left of the big blind. Torelli says that these positions are the toughest to play because you have to act before everyone else. The advantage of these positions, he explains, is that “early-position raises usually get more respect because your range (the types of hands you are playing) should be stronger.” The disadvantage, Torelli adds, is that you have the least information and will likely be out of position after the flop.

   • Strategy: “Discipline is the strategy,” Torelli explains. “Play strong hands, avoid marginal offsuit hands, and don’t get too creative. Hands that look decent in late position can get you into trouble here.” He adds that it’s a good idea to follow casual poker advice, like “Play the top 10% of hands.”
   • Seats: Under-the-Gun, Under-the-Gun +1, and Under-the-Gun +2
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   Middle Position “Middle position gives you a little more freedom, but you still need to be aware of the players behind you,” says Torelli. “You can open more hands than you would from early position, but the cutoff and button can still call or re-raise you with position. If those players are aggressive, you need to be more selective. If they are tight, you can apply more pressure.”

   • Strategy: Torelli says that in this position, you can start looking for opportunities, but you still need discipline. “From middle position, you can add more suited aces, broadways, medium pairs, and playable suited hands, like T9s,” says Torelli. “Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking idle position is a license to go crazy. Avoid marginal hands here if you are still a beginner.”
   • Seats: Lojack and Hijack
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   Late Position “Late position is where poker becomes the most fun, and the most profitable,” says Torelli. But he cautions that “‘play more hands’ does not mean ‘play every hand.’”

   • Strategy: “From late position, attack tight blinds, put pressure on passive players, and use your information advantage," advises Torelli. "But adjust if the blinds are aggressive or defending too often.”
   • Seats: Cutoff and Button
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   Blinds “The blinds are tricky because you already have money in the pot,” says Torelli. Players in the blinds post mandatory bets before any cards are dealt to ensure that there’s money in the pot to compete for. This essentially sets the stakes for the game.

   • Strategy: “If someone else raises before you, the general rule is to re-raise if your hand is strong enough to play; otherwise, fold," says Torelli. "The hands you choose to re-raise with will depend on the player who opened and which position they opened from.”
   • Seats: Big Blind and Small Blind
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Section 3 of 5:

Which poker positions have the greatest advantage?

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1. 
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   The button is considered the most advantaged poker position. “The button is the best position in poker,” says Torelli. “You will always act last after the flop, which means you get the most information before making decisions. This allows you to bluff more effectively, value bet thinner, control the size of the pot, and play hands profitably.”
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   The cutoff and hijack can also be advantageous positions. Since these are also late positions, they still have more information to act on than middle or early position players. There is an increased ability to play aggressively in these positions and to steal blinds.

   • “The later you act, the more information you have,” agrees Torelli. “You get to see what everyone else does before making your decision. You also have fewer players left to act behind you, increasing your chances of winning the pot.”
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Section 4 of 5:

Why does poker position matter?

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1. 
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   A good position gives you optimal information. If you’re in a late position, you get to see what everyone else does before you act. This gives you an advantage because you have more flexibility in the hands you can play. Plus, you might even have the opportunity to steal pots from your opponents.

   • “Poker is a game of incomplete information, and position gives you more of it,” Torelli explains. “That’s why the same hand can be profitable from one seat and a complete disaster from another. Ace-jack suited on the button? Nice hand. Ace-jack offsuit under the gun at a tough table? Let it go.”
   • “Play tighter from early positions, wider from late positions, tight but aggressive from the small bind, and defend widest from the big blind,” summarizes Torelli.
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   Late positions give you more time to strategize. This means you can weigh your odds and analyze your opponents. Playing a late position allows you more time to think about what you want to do and take other players’ actions into consideration.
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   You can better control the pot in a late position. Being in a late position means you can inflate the size of the pot if you have the best hand, or you can keep it small if you have a bad hand. Either way, you’ll have better control than you would in an early or even middle position.
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Section 5 of 5:

Poker Position Strategies

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1. 
   1
   Select a late position seat if you can. Torelli says the button is the best position in poker. If you can’t be the button, you’ll still want to try to get a late position like the cutoff or even the hijack. This way, you can have better flexibility in the hands you play, and you’ll have more information than you would in an early position.
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   Be selective when you’re in an early position. Torelli advises only playing 10% of hands when you’re in an early position like under-the-gun. For someone in the under-the-gun position, Torelli says, “Not only are you at a positional disadvantage the entire hand, but you will have the least information in the future—because of that, you have to be very, very selective.”
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   Play tighter than you think you should in the blinds. “The blinds require restraint,” Torelli says. “Don’t confuse a discount with a good investment.” If you’re small or big blind, be selective in the hands you play. Players often assume they can afford to play a wider range of hands from the blinds, but it’s better to stick to a tighter selection to avoid tricky situations later.

   • Torelli advises using a sliding scale for simplicity. “The worse the opponent and later their position, the more hands you can play. The better the opponent and earlier their position, the tighter you’ll have to be.”
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