Understanding Position at the Poker Table
In Texas Hold’em, position refers to where you sit relative to the dealer button. The dealer button is a token that moves clockwise around the table after every hand to track the nominal dealer. Position is fundamental because it decides the order of action in each betting round.
A standard hand includes four potential betting rounds. The first round is pre-flop, which takes place before any community cards (shared cards placed face up on the board) are dealt. The subsequent rounds are post-flop, occurring after community cards are shown.
Knowing your seat location helps you determine whether you must act early without information or act late with full knowledge of your opponents’ decisions.
The Six-Max Poker Position Chart
At a six-max table (a table capped at six players), seats are named relative to the dealer button. The order of seats moving clockwise starting directly after the button is as follows:
- Small Blind (SB)
- Big Blind (BB)
- Under the Gun (UTG)
- Middle Position (MP)
- Cutoff (CO)
- Button (BTN)
The table below outlines each seat, its positional group, and its post-flop acting order:
| Seat Name | Position Category | Pre-Flop Order | Post-Flop Order | Strategy Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Blind (SB) | Blinds | 5th | 1st | Plays fewer, stronger hands; forced bet |
| Big Blind (BB) | Blinds | 6th (Last) | 2nd | Plays defensively; forced bet |
| Under the Gun (UTG) | Early Position | 1st | 3rd | Plays fewest, strongest starting hands |
| Middle Position (MP) | Middle Position | 2nd | 4th | Plays a balanced, moderate range |
| Cutoff (CO) | Late Position | 3rd | 5th | Plays a wide selection of hands |
| Button (BTN) | Late Position | 4th | 6th (Last) | Plays the widest range; acts last post-flop |
Strategic Advantages of Position
Pre-flop action always begins with the player sitting directly to the left of the big blind, which is Under the Gun. Post-flop action always starts with the Small Blind and moves clockwise. Because of this structure, the button acts last on every post-flop street.
Acting last provides a significant informational advantage. You watch what every other player does before choosing to bet, call, or fold. Acting early forces you to decide with the least amount of information.
Because early position players must act first after the flop, they must enter the pot with fewer, stronger hands. Late position players can play many more hands because having position offsets lower hand strength. Premium starting hands, like those discussed in our guide on AA vs KK, can be played from any seat. However, speculative hands rely heavily on positional advantage. You can review overall hand values in our poker hand rankings chart.
The blinds are considered the worst positions at the table. The blinds are forced bets that players must submit before seeing their cards. Furthermore, the blind seats must act first on all post-flop streets, combining forced chip investment with an informational disadvantage.
On a full 9-handed table, extra seats are added, such as Early Position (EP) and Late Position (LP). While specific seat labels vary across different formats, the core logic remains identical: early seats act first, and late seats act last.
A Numeric Example of Order and Pot Calculation
To illustrate how order and pot math work, picture a six-player game with blinds set at 50 and 100 chips. The pot is the accumulated total of chips bet by players during a hand.
Pre-flop betting sequence:
- Small Blind posts 50 chips.
- Big Blind posts 100 chips.
- UTG folds (discards their cards).
- MP folds.
- Cutoff raises to 300 chips.
- Button calls 300 chips.
- Small Blind folds (forfeiting their 50 chips).
- Big Blind calls by adding 200 chips to match the 300 raise.
Calculating the total pot: 50 (SB) + 100 (BB initial) + 200 (BB call) + 300 (CO) + 300 (BTN) = 1,050 chips.
Post-flop action sequence: Because the Small Blind folded, the post-flop action begins with the Big Blind, who must act first. Action moves clockwise to the Cutoff, and the Button acts last. The Button maintains this positional advantage for every remaining street of the hand.
FAQ
Why is the Button considered the best position?
The Button acts last on every post-flop betting round. This allows the player on the Button to see how all opponents act before making their own decision.
Why are the blinds considered the worst positions?
Players in the blinds must invest chips before seeing their cards. Additionally, they are forced to act first on post-flop betting rounds, giving them an informational disadvantage.
How does position affect starting hand choices?
Early positions require playing fewer, stronger starting hands because players act first post-flop. Late positions allow players to play a wider variety of hands due to acting last.
Does pre-flop order differ from post-flop order?
Yes. Pre-flop action starts with Under the Gun (left of the Big Blind). Post-flop action starts with the Small Blind (or the next remaining active seat to the left of the Button) and ends at the Button.