4-Max Poker Positions: The Correct Order
Four players sit down. The first seat gets called UTG on one chart, cutoff on another, and hijack in a forum reply. Only one label maps cleanly to its location at the table.
Quick Answer
The 4-max poker positions are cutoff (CO), button (BTN), small blind (SB), and big blind (BB). The cutoff acts first preflop. There is no hijack seat because the hijack must sit two places before the button, and a four-handed table has only one non-blind seat before the button.
What is the correct order of 4-max poker positions?
Start with the dealer button and move clockwise: BTN, SB, BB, CO. When you list the preflop action order instead, start after the big blind: CO, BTN, SB, BB. Poker seat names stay attached to the button as it moves after each hand.
| Preflop order | Position | Where it sits | Main feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cutoff (CO) | Immediately before BTN | First preflop, often in position postflop |
| 2 | Button (BTN) | Immediately before SB | Last to act after the flop |
| 3 | Small blind (SB) | Immediately after BTN | Posts small blind, first postflop |
| 4 | Big blind (BB) | Immediately after SB | Posts big blind, closes preflop action |
This naming follows the standard convention of counting seats backward from the button. The cutoff is one seat before BTN, the hijack is two seats before BTN, and the lojack is three seats before BTN. RecPoker uses the same button-relative order in its position nomenclature. A long-running Two Plus Two discussion also defines HJ as one before CO and two before BTN.
Does the hijack exist in 4-max poker?
No. A hijack seat needs both a cutoff and a button behind it. Four-handed poker reserves two seats for the blinds, leaving only CO and BTN as non-blind positions. Labeling the first seat HJ would erase the cutoff while leaving a seat in the cutoff’s exact location.
Correct geometric label: CO
The seat is immediately before BTN. This label lets you reuse the CO row from a compatible 6-max chart.
Possible action label: UTG
The same player is under the gun because they act first preflop. Some software uses this label, so inspect the displayed seat order.
Larger-table guides support the same subtraction rule. 888poker’s position guide advises removing middle seats as the table gets shorter. Once a six-max game loses its UTG and HJ seats, the four remaining locations are CO, BTN, SB, and BB.
Drill the seat, stack, and action together. Practice four-handed spots on your phone before the next table opens.
Who acts first in four-handed poker?
The cutoff acts first before the flop. Action then moves to BTN, SB, and BB. After the flop, the first active player left of the button acts first, so the order is usually SB, BB, CO, BTN. Folded players are skipped.
Example: CO opens and BB calls
- 1.CO raises to 2.5 big blinds. BTN and SB fold. BB calls.
- 2.BB acts first on the flop because BB sits left of the button among the two active players.
- 3.CO acts last on the flop, turn, and river. That positional edge supports a wider opening range than an early seat at a larger table.
The button remains the best postflop seat because it acts last whenever it reaches the flop. CardPlayer’s position rules explain the same split: UTG opens the preflop action, while the first active player left of the dealer begins each postflop round.
How should ranges change at a 4-max table?
Four-handed players reach late-position and blind battles every orbit. Build your baseline from CO, BTN, SB, and BB ranges that match the game’s stack depth and raise size. Do not import an early-position row simply because a lobby calls the first seat UTG.
Use the cutoff row for the first seat
A six-max CO chart maps to the same position: one seat before the button with three players left to act.
Expect more blind-versus-blind hands
SB and BB appear in every hand, and only two non-blind players can enter before them. Give these spots a large share of study time.
Keep the game assumptions attached
A 100bb cash range does not automatically fit a 25bb tournament with antes. Match format, effective stack, ante, and opening size.
Separate a baseline from a table adjustment
A sound chart gives you the starting decision. Tight blinds let CO and BTN open more hands; aggressive 3-bettors can pull marginal opens back.
Jonathan Little’s four-handed strategy lesson uses CO as the first opening position and warns that its charts assume 100 big blinds with no tournament payout pressure. Those assumptions matter as much as the seat label.
Can you use 6-max charts for 4-max poker?
Yes. Use only the CO, BTN, SB, and BB rows from a six-max chart built for the same format. Skip UTG and HJ. A position is defined by the players behind it and its relationship to the button, so the last four seats map without renaming.
Suppose you hold A9s in the first seat at a 100bb 4-max cash table. Check the 100bb CO opening solution, because BTN, SB, and BB remain behind you. A 6-max UTG chart assumes five players remain and will usually be tighter. The wrong label can turn a standard late-position open into an unnecessary fold.
Start with the complete 6-max preflop charts, then study how each seat changes in the poker positions guide. The opening ranges by position page gives the broader reasoning behind tighter and wider opens.
How does each 4-max position play preflop?
Each seat gets a different mix of information and positional value. The hand examples below show how the same cards can change jobs as the button moves. They illustrate the decision process, so check the solution for your exact game before treating a hand as a pure raise, call, or fold.
Cutoff: open first, play late after the flop
CO faces three players before winning the blinds, but only BTN can take position after the flop. Open wider than a six-max HJ because two early seats have disappeared. Your weak suited aces, suited connectors, and borderline offsuit broadways deserve close study because they sit near the edge of many CO solutions.
Hand check: You hold KTo in CO at 100bb and action starts with you. Identify the game’s CO open before acting. Pulling up a 6-max UTG chart answers a different question with two more players behind.
Button: use the information advantage
BTN sees CO act first and gets the final decision on every postflop street against the blinds. That supports the widest non-blind opening range. When CO raises, BTN must switch from an opening chart to a facing-open solution. Position stays valuable, but the prior raise changes the available actions and range strength.
Hand check: A5s may appear in a BTN opening range and in a BTN 3-bet range versus CO, sometimes with different frequencies. The hand, seat, and stack match. The action sequence decides which chart applies.
Small blind: one player remains, position does not
SB can win the pot preflop by getting through one opponent. If BB calls, SB acts first after the flop. A player in SB therefore needs a distinct strategy. Copying a button range one chair over would overstate the value of the seat. Limping may also appear in some solved SB strategies, while other simplified systems use raise or fold.
Hand check: CO and BTN fold, and you hold Q8s in SB. Use an SB-versus-BB solution with the correct blind structure. A BTN chart overvalues the postflop position you will not have.
Big blind: close the action at a price
BB posts a full blind and usually closes the preflop action when facing one raise. The pot can offer a call price that keeps many suited and connected hands in the defense range. CO and BTN opens require separate responses because BTN starts wider and will hold position after the flop.
Hand check: BTN opens and you hold 87s in BB. Look at BB versus BTN, not a generic BB defense chart. If CO opened and BTN called, the squeeze, call, and fold incentives would change again.
How is 4-max different in cash games and tournaments?
Cash players can reload and usually evaluate chips at face value. Tournament players may face antes, changing stack depths, and payouts that make chips won and chips lost worth different amounts. A four-handed final table can therefore need a very different range from a four-handed cash table with the same blind level.
Consider CO holding A8o with 25bb. In a cash-style chip-EV model, the player checks the opening value against BTN and the blinds. At a final table, stack distribution and payout jumps may tighten or widen different players because each elimination changes the prize. A label reading “4-max, 25bb” does not capture those tournament inputs.
Confirm four items before training: cash or tournament, effective stack, ante structure, and payout model. Use the MTT preflop strategy guide when antes and tournament stages drive the spot.
What mistakes cause the biggest 4-max chart errors?
Players make the largest mapping errors before they study a single hand. They copy a row whose name sounds familiar, ignore the chart assumptions, or treat every short-handed game as a cash game.
| Mistake | Why it fails | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Calling the first seat HJ | HJ needs CO and BTN behind it | Map the seat to CO |
| Using a 6-max UTG range | It assumes two extra players behind | Use the matching CO row |
| Ignoring effective stack | Stack depth changes calls, raises, and jams | Select the actual effective stack |
| Mixing cash and ICM spots | Tournament payouts change risk incentives | Use a tournament solution when payouts apply |
How do you drill 4-max positions without mixing them up?
Drill one seat and one situation at a time. Begin with CO raise-first-in at your usual stack depth. Move to BTN only after you can identify the CO boundary hands, then add SB opens and BB responses. Attach all four details to every decision: format, stack, position, and prior action.
A useful test shows A9s and asks for an action from CO at 100bb after everyone has folded. A weak test shows A9s without the seat or stack. Preflop Wizard lets you practice defined spots and get immediate feedback, which keeps a CO answer from bleeding into a BTN or tournament decision. Read the range-practice method for a session plan built around active recall.
Frequently asked questions
What are the positions in 4-max poker?
The four positions are cutoff (CO), button (BTN), small blind (SB), and big blind (BB). Before the flop, the cutoff acts first. After the flop, the small blind acts first if still in the hand, and the button acts last.
Does the hijack exist in 4-max poker?
No. The hijack is two seats before the button, while the first non-blind seat at a four-handed table is one seat before the button. That makes it the cutoff, even though some poker rooms or chart tools may label it UTG.
Is the first position in 4-max called UTG or cutoff?
Cutoff is the clearest positional name because that seat is immediately before the button. UTG correctly describes that the player acts first preflop, so some interfaces use UTG. Check the seat order shown by a chart before applying its range.
Who acts first in four-handed poker?
The cutoff acts first before the flop because it sits immediately left of the big blind in a four-handed game. After the flop, action starts with the first active player left of the button, usually the small blind or big blind.
Can I use 6-max charts for a 4-max game?
Use the cutoff, button, small-blind, and big-blind rows from a compatible 6-max chart. Match the same game type, stack depth, ante, and raise size. Do not use the 6-max UTG or hijack row for the first seat in 4-max.