Whether you’re a casual or professional player, you must understand poker positions. Poker positions have advantages and disadvantages, determining the probability of winning or losing. 

A poker position is where you sit at the table relative to the dealer and two blinds. It determines when you get to play. 

In this article, you will learn about the nine positions at the poker table in the most popular poker version, Texas Hold’em.

The 9 Poker Positions

Easy position

Easy position is the worst poker table position. This is because a player in this position knows the least about the other players and how they will play their hands.

The blinds

There are two types of blinds, which are:

• The small blind

A player sits at the immediate left of the button. After the pre-flop, they act second to last during every round. But every subsequent round after that, they are the first to play, which makes it the absolute worst position. 

• The big blind

A player sits to the left of the small blind. When they make their compulsory bet, it has to be double that of the small blind. 

You will be last to act in the pre-flop and post-flop, though you must act the second. The best you can do is lose the least amount of money. 

Under the gun

There are two kinds, which are:

• Under the gun

A player is positioned directly left of the big blind. It has a tight betting range since it only has a position on blinds. The position bets first in preflop except for blinds and compulsory bets. 

• Under the gun +1

A player here has a slightly better betting advantage than under the gun. Despite having little chance of winning since it is an early position, there are many players after you.

Middle position

Despite having several players after, the position has a tight range. It's better than under the gun but requires caution since more players follow. 

When the late position player folds, you can play more aggressively post-flop.

Lojack 

A player is in the first of the two middle positions at the table. It has no substantial betting range. If none of the players to your left have folded, you must proceed with caution. 

Hijack

The hijack is in a slightly better position because all the early positions and the lojack have acted. This position steals or hijacks the blinds from the latter two positions. 

Since the players acting after are much smaller, there is room to be more aggressive.

Late position

This is the best position because you have the most knowledge about the game. You can call, raise, or fold. 

The cutoff

In this position, you can exert more pressure on opponents. It gets its name from cutting off the blinds to take the pot.

The button

You play last in all rounds post-flop. It is the best position because you see all the action before acting. 

Conclusion

By understanding the different positions on a poker table, you can strategize better during a game. With a better strategy, you can minimise your losses and possibly, maximise your opportunities to win.