Position is your seat relative to the dealer button. Acting after your opponents means you see what they do before you decide. That information is worth real money, which is why the same hand can be a raise on the button and a fold under the gun.
The seats at a nine-handed table
Most Toronto casino cash games run eight or nine players. Starting to the left of the button and going clockwise:
| Seat | Short name | Group | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small blind | SB | Blinds | Posts the small blind. Acts first on every street after the flop, the worst seat at the table. |
| Big blind | BB | Blinds | Posts the big blind. Acts last preflop and can check if nobody raised. Out of position after the flop. |
| Under the gun | UTG | Early | First to act preflop. Eight players still to act behind you. Play tight. |
| Under the gun +1 | UTG+1 | Early | Still a lot of players behind. Nearly as tight as UTG. |
| Under the gun +2 | UTG+2 | Early / middle | A little wider. |
| Lojack | LJ | Middle | Three seats right of the button. |
| Hijack | HJ | Middle / late | Two seats right of the button. Starting to open up. |
| Cutoff | CO | Late | Right of the button. A strong stealing seat. |
| Button | BTN | Late | Acts last on the flop, turn and river. The strongest seat at the table. |
With fewer players, drop seats from the early group first. At six-handed, UTG is what the lojack was at nine-handed.
Why acting last matters
Poker is a game of incomplete information. Every action you see before you decide is a clue. On the button you know whether both players checked, whether someone bet small or big, and whether anyone’s left to raise behind you. The player in the small blind has to decide first on every street, blind.
Position also gives you control. In position you can check behind for a free card with a draw, bet for value when checked to, or keep the pot small with a medium hand. Out of position, your opponent gets to react to you.
The same hand in two seats
$1/$3, nine-handed, everyone folds to you with K♦J♣.
- Under the gun: eight players behind you, and any of them could hold A-K, K-Q, A-J or a big pair. When you get action, you’re often dominated. Fold.
- On the button: only the two blinds are left, and they’re holding random hands. You’ll act last all hand if they call. Raise to about $12.
Same cards, opposite decisions. That’s position.
Position after the flop
Say you call a raise from the hijack on the button with 8♥7♥, and the flop comes K♣6♥5♦. You have an open-ended straight draw. If the hijack checks, you can check behind and see the turn for free, or bet and take the pot when they missed. If you had called from the big blind instead, you’d have to act first with no information, and a bet from the raiser would force you to pay to draw.
A simple live habit
At a live Toronto-area table, find the dealer button before you look at your cards. Then count how many players are left to act behind you. That two-second routine stops most early-position mistakes and makes preflop ranges easier to understand instead of just memorize.
FAQ
What is the best position in poker?
The button. You act last on the flop, turn and river, so you always see what everyone else did before you decide.
What does under the gun mean?
Under the gun is the seat directly to the left of the big blind. It acts first preflop, with the most players left to act behind it, so it should play the fewest hands.
Why is the small blind a bad position?
It acts first on every street after the flop and has already put money in, which tempts players to call with weak hands. Most players lose money from the small blind over time; the goal is to lose less.
What is the cutoff in poker?
The seat directly to the right of the button. It’s the second-best position and a good place to raise when it folds to you.
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By the TorontoPoker.org editorial team · Updated September 2026 · 19+ · Play responsibly