Poker Positions Explained: 6-Max & 9-Max Guide
Quick answer: Poker positions are the seats around the table relative to the dealer button: UTG, lojack, hijack, cutoff, button, small blind, and big blind. Position controls when you act, so early seats should play tighter ranges while late seats can profitably enter more pots.
Poker positions at a glance
Seat names stay anchored to the dealer button, which moves one place clockwise after every hand. The table below shows the standard order. In 6-max, remove the lojack row. In 9-max, add UTG+1 and UTG+2 between UTG and the lojack.
| Seat | Full name | Preflop order | Default plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTG | Under the Gun | First | Tightest opening range |
| LJ | Lojack | After UTG seats | Tight to medium range |
| HJ | Hijack | Before cutoff | Start widening |
| CO | Cutoff | Before button | Wide steals and isolation raises |
| BTN | Button | Before blinds | Widest profitable opening range |
| SB | Small Blind | Second to last | Wide first-in, cautious vs raises |
| BB | Big Blind | Last | Defend using pot odds |
Why does position matter in poker?
Position creates information. A player who acts last sees whether opponents check, bet, or raise before choosing an action. That advantage repeats on the flop, turn, and river, which makes borderline hands easier to realize equity with and strong hands easier to value bet.
Position also changes preflop risk. Open from UTG at a 9-handed table and eight players can respond. Open from the button and only two remain. Even if each opponent rarely has a premium hand, those extra chances add up. This is why a hand such as A8 suited can be an easy button raise but a standard UTG fold.
A useful distinction is absolute position, your named seat, versus relative position, who acts last among the players still in the hand. The cutoff usually has good absolute position, but if the button calls its raise, the cutoff will act before that caller after the flop.
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What does each poker position mean?
Under the Gun (UTG)
UTG sits immediately left of the big blind and acts first preflop. It is called under the gun because there is no information from voluntary actions yet. Open a compact range that can withstand calls and 3-bets from every later seat. At 100bb, strong pairs, big aces, and suited broadways form the core. Marginal offsuit hands lose value because they are easily dominated and often play out of position.
Lojack (LJ) and Hijack (HJ)
The lojack is three seats to the right of the button at a full-ring table. The hijack is two seats to the right. These middle positions bridge tight early-position strategy and wide late-position strategy. You can begin adding more pocket pairs, suited aces, suited connectors, and offsuit broadways, but the cutoff and button still have position on you. At 6-max, the first seat is commonly labeled UTG rather than lojack, so check the convention used by your chart.
Cutoff (CO)
The cutoff sits directly right of the button. It is a strong stealing seat because only three players remain, and two of them have forced money in the pot. When the button folds, the cutoff will also act last after the flop. A good cutoff strategy opens aggressively but respects who sits on the button. A tough, active button reduces the value of weak opens; a tight button lets you attack more often.
Button (BTN)
The dealer button is the best seat in Texas Holdem. It acts after every other non-blind player preflop and last on every postflop street. You should normally use your widest raise-first-in range here. The benefit is not permission to play any two cards without thought. Your range still changes with stack depth, ante structure, opening size, and how often the blinds defend or 3-bet.
Small Blind (SB)
The small blind posts half a blind and acts second to last preflop, but first after the flop. When everyone folds, the SB can attack the BB with a wide range. Once another player opens, its positional disadvantage becomes expensive. Many hands that can call profitably on the button should fold or 3-bet from the small blind instead. Read the full small blind preflop strategy for range examples.
Big Blind (BB)
The big blind acts last preflop and already has one blind invested, giving it a discount to call. After the flop, it usually acts first. Defense should depend on the raiser's position and size: call wider against a small button raise and much tighter against a large UTG raise. Our big blind defense guide explains the pot-odds logic in detail.
How do 6-max and 9-max poker positions differ?
Six-max uses UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, and BB. Nine-max adds three earlier seats, although naming conventions vary between rooms and training tools. Some call them UTG, UTG+1, and UTG+2 before LJ. Others label the earliest seats EP1 and EP2. The button, cutoff, hijack, and blinds remain easy landmarks.
Do not transfer a 6-max UTG chart directly to the first seat of a 9-max game. The 9-max player has three more opponents to clear, so the correct opening range is tighter. Late-position ranges stay more similar because the number of players behind is unchanged. Compare the complete 6-max preflop charts with the 9-max range chart to see the pattern.
Tournament tables can shrink as players bust. Always count players and locate the button before naming your seat. At a seven-handed table, a seat that was UTG+1 one orbit ago may now be UTG. The strategic question is not the printed chair number. It is how many players remain behind you and which of them will have position after the flop.
Three preflop hand examples where position changes the answer
Example 1: A♠8♠ first in at 100bb
At a 9-max table, A8 suited is generally too loose from UTG. Too many players can call or 3-bet, and stronger aces dominate it. On the button after everyone folds, it becomes a clear open. Only the blinds remain, the hand can make nut flushes, and you gain position whenever either blind calls.
Example 2: K♣Q♦ facing an UTG raise
KQo looks strong in isolation, but an UTG raiser represents a narrow range containing AK, AQ, AA, KK, and QQ. Calling from the hijack also leaves the cutoff and button behind you. Folding is often disciplined. If the same hand faces a small button open in the big blind, the opener is much wider and your invested blind improves the price, so continuing is standard.
Example 3: 7♥6♥ after a lojack open
On the button, 76 suited can sometimes call because it closes much of the action and guarantees postflop position if the blinds fold. From the small blind, the same call forces you to act first after the flop and leaves the big blind free to squeeze. A fold or selective 3-bet is usually cleaner than a passive call.
How should you adjust preflop ranges by position?
Think in layers instead of memorizing seven unrelated lists. Start with a strong early-position core. As you move toward the button, add hands at the edge: lower pairs, weaker suited aces, suited kings, connected suited hands, then selected offsuit combinations. The exact boundary depends on the format, effective stack, rake, antes, and raise size.
When facing a raise, use both positions. An UTG open deserves more respect than a button open. Your own seat matters too: the button can call some hands that the small blind should fold because position improves equity realization. For complete opening matrices, use the free GTO preflop charts rather than one universal starting-hand list.
Exploit obvious tendencies without abandoning the framework. Steal wider when tight blinds overfold. Tighten marginal opens when aggressive players behind 3-bet frequently. Isolate recreational limpers more often from the cutoff and button, where you are likely to retain position. Position gives the baseline; the table gives the adjustment.
How can you memorize poker positions and ranges?
Anchor the button first. Move clockwise through the small blind and big blind, then continue to UTG. To name late positions, count backward from the button: cutoff is one seat back, hijack is two, and lojack is three. This works even when the table is short-handed.
For ranges, drill decisions rather than staring at charts. Begin with button raise-first-in spots, then compare the cutoff and hijack. Notice which hands disappear as you move earlier. After opening ranges feel automatic, practice facing raises, blind defense, and 3-bets. The guide to practicing poker ranges gives a repeatable study plan.
At the table, say three things mentally before looking for a chart answer: your position, the opener's position, and the effective stack. That short routine prevents the common mistake of treating the cards as the whole decision.
Poker positions FAQ
What are the positions in poker?
The standard Texas Holdem positions are under the gun (UTG), lojack (LJ), hijack (HJ), cutoff (CO), button (BTN), small blind (SB), and big blind (BB). Full-ring games add extra early-position seats, often called UTG+1 and UTG+2. A 6-max table starts with UTG, then HJ, CO, BTN, SB, and BB.
What is the best position in poker?
The button is the best poker position because it acts last after the flop. That information advantage lets the button open more hands, control pot size, value bet more accurately, and bluff in better spots. The cutoff is the second-best seat when the button folds.
What is the worst position in poker?
The small blind is usually the worst position. It invests chips before seeing its cards and acts first on every postflop street. Under the gun is the most restrictive non-blind preflop position because every other player can still wake up with a strong hand.
Why do poker ranges change by position?
Early-position ranges are tighter because more players remain and you are more likely to face a strong hand or play out of position after the flop. Late-position ranges are wider because fewer players remain and the button or cutoff often has a postflop information advantage.
Does the button act first or last in poker?
The button acts near the end preflop because the blinds act after it, but it acts last on the flop, turn, and river. The action-order change is why beginners sometimes confuse absolute seat position with being in position during a specific hand.
How should a beginner learn poker positions?
Learn the button and blinds first, then count backward: cutoff, hijack, lojack, and under the gun. Practice one opening range at a time, beginning with the button and cutoff, and always name your position before making a preflop decision.
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