The six seats
At a 6-handed table the seats are named by their distance from the dealer button. Going clockwise from the button: the small blind (SB), the big blind (BB), then under the gun (UTG), the hijack (HJ), the cutoff (CO) and the button (BTN). The button moves one seat to the left after every hand, so over a session you sit in every seat.
Who acts when
The order of action is different before and after the flop, and this is what confuses new players.
| Seat | Acts before the flop | Acts after the flop |
|---|---|---|
| Under the gun | 1st | 3rd |
| Hijack | 2nd | 4th |
| Cutoff | 3rd | 5th |
| Button | 4th | 6th (last) |
| Small blind | 5th | 1st |
| Big blind | 6th (last) | 2nd |
The button acts last on the flop, turn and river. The blinds are the reverse: they act last before the flop, but first and second after it, for the rest of the hand.
Why acting last is worth so much
When you act last, everyone has already shown their hand strength through their actions. If they check, you know they are probably not strong, and you can bet or check back with confidence. If they bet big, you can fold a weak hand without paying more. A player acting first has none of this and has to decide in the dark. You also get to see a free card more often, because you can check behind when you have a drawing hand and the pot is not worth building.
Early seats: fewer, stronger hands
Under the gun, five players still have to act after you, and any of them may wake up with a big hand. You also play out of position against most of them after the flop. So early seats open a narrow range: strong pairs, big aces and good high cards. In the Blindspot Poker opening ranges, under the gun opens about 16% of hands.
Late seats: more hands, more pressure
On the cutoff and button, fewer players remain behind you, and on the button you act last after the flop. The same ranges open about 27% of hands from the cutoff and about 40% from the button, adding suited hands and connected cards. The late seats are also where you can steal the blinds: raise when everyone has folded to you, and win the pot right there.
The blinds
The small blind is the toughest seat, because you act first after the flop in every hand you play. The big blind has the best price, since it already has a bet in, so it defends against a raise with a wide range of hands, but it also plays most of its hands out of position. Do not call just because you are getting a discount; a hand that is weak from every other seat is still weak from the big blind.
Using it at the table
- Before you look at your hand, check your seat. Fold more from early seats.
- When you have a marginal hand, prefer to play it when you are in position.
- When an early-seat player raises, give them credit for a strong hand. A late-seat raise means less.
See every seat's range on the starting hand chart, learn how to read it in how to read a poker hand range, or run through the position lesson.