Seating Positions

Every round of poker you will find yourself in each seating position once every orbit. You will be the big blind once, the button once, under the gun once etc. Each seating position varies a little from the last and your strategy should change a little accordingly.

Under the Gun (UTG)/Early Position: You are the very first person to act, which could mean you have up to 9 players to get through. Under the gun is considered to be the most difficult position to play because not only do you have to act first with no information on the rest of the table, but you have to hope that an entire table full of players do not have a big hand too. Therefore, the hands you play in early position should be very strong to withstand this added pressure and likewise, when an opponent chooses to play a hand from early position - expect them to have the goods.

Middle Position/The Hijack: Also a tricky position to play, but much nicer than early position. You still have a lot of other players to get through so generally you still need a solid hand to choose to come in from middle position, but you can loosen up your hand selection a little.

Late Position/The Cut Off: Now the number of opponents in front of you has considerably thinned and you can open up a little with the hands you are prepared to play, now might also be a time to consider trying to steal the blinds. The other bonus is that there is a good chance you will have position on anyone that chooses to play with you.

The Button: The best possible position at the table, when you have the button you get to act last on every street which means you can play hands you otherwise would throw away. Bluffing is much easier from the button and suited connecters play better because you can usually see the next card cheaper because you close the action when you call.

The Small Blind: The absolute worst position at the table because you have to act first on every street with no further information. A lot of players feel attached to their blinds but defending them can cost you a lot of money. Because you have such bad position and because it’s only half a blind, get used to mucking your small blind until you have a real hand.

The Big Blind: Is a bit different to the small blind for two reasons, first of all you have more money invested which means that more often you will get enticing pot odds when facing a raise, which can justify some slightly looser calls. Secondly, although you have the second worst position at the table, you do still have position on the small blind and if they are the only other player in the pot you have a big advantage. However, in most other situations you are out of position so stick to strong hands and don’t get married to your blind.

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