After learning the rules of poker and ranking cards, the second thing you need to master is the poker position. And with good reason, because without understanding how Poker Table positions work it is impossible to talk about other topics related to poker.

The position is so important in Texas Hold’em that players refer to it even before revealing their cards when discussing specific hands and make decisions based on it while playing. In this article, we break down all the positions on the poker table and explain why they are important in poker.

Understand the different positions in poker

Most poker tables have between two and nine players, depending on the format and circumstances of the game. For example, most online gambling games are played in a 6-hand format, while the majority of online and live casino tournaments are played in a 9-hand format. As the name suggests, there are six different positions in the maximum six position poker table, of different types:

• Under the gun (Early)
• Hijack (Middle)
• Cutoff (Late)
• Button (Late)
• Small blind (Blinds)
• Big blind (Blinds)

The Under The Gun (UTG)

UTG is the worst position preflop because the player in this position has the least information of all the players at the table. In most cases, he can only decide what to do with his hand based on the strength of his cards, which is why UTG has the tightest playing range of all players at the table.

The Under The Gun + 1 (UTG+1)

UTG+1 isn’t much better than first position across the board because you only see one player acting in front of you and 7 opponents still waiting for your action of poker chipset. Although you can add a few extra hands to your opening range, you should still play relatively tight for this reason.

The Under The Gun + 2 (UTG+2)

UTG+2, along with the two front seats, is considered the top position at the 9-hand table and is the most difficult position to play pre-flop. Players in these positions also have the least information about their opponents in the previous round and are not in the best position in the following round, so you should limit your range to about 15% of hands.

The Lowjack

Lowjack at a 9-max poker table is essentially the same as UTG at 6-hand poker, as there is still the same number of players acting behind. For this reason, the player’s reach from this position remains relatively tight.

The Hijack

HJ is slightly better because the player in this position can know what the player in first position is doing before making a decision. Best of all, he has fewer opponents sitting behind him, so he can eventually start adding more hands that don’t match blockers to his opening range.

The Cutoff

OC is where things start to get interesting. This is the position where you start to steal the curtain more aggressively because you only have one IP player left behind you. If you can fold the BTN, you will be positioned against the blinds throughout the hand and can control the action.

The Button

 BTN is the best position on the poker table. Not only does the player in this position have the privilege of seeing what the top three positions will do and adjusting his play accordingly, but he also has the privilege of being the last player to act on each round after round. flop. For this reason, BTN has the most players at the table.

The Small Blind

SB may have the privilege of seeing what others are doing before him, but that is not enough to make up for the fact that he will be the first player to act on every street after the flop and even will will not end the action because it is still there. BB. left to act. This is why its scope is much narrower than that of BTN. Additionally, he is forced to put money into the pot before seeing his cards, which causes a significant disadvantage.

The Big Blind

The fact that he has to bet a lot of jewels before seeing the cards and that he is the second player to act on each round after the flop means that the BB position is the worst on the table. Although you will have to play a variety of hands and defend a lot, especially with the cards in play, you will not be able to bet in the big blind before you see your cards.