Poker Table Positions and Seat Names Explained

Every seat at a poker table has a name and a strategic meaning. Knowing them isn't trivia — position determines how much information you have when you act, which is one of the biggest edges in the game.

The key seats

• The Button (Dealer): marked by a disc that rotates each hand. The button acts last on every street after the flop, which makes it the best seat at the table.
• Small Blind (SB): seated left of the button; posts the smaller forced bet. Acts first after the flop — a poor position.
• Big Blind (BB): left of the small blind; posts the larger forced bet. Acts last preflop but early postflop.
• Under the Gun (UTG): left of the big blind; acts first preflop. The earliest, tightest position.
• Middle Positions: the seats between UTG and the late positions.
• Hijack and Cutoff: the two seats right before the button — strong "late" positions where you can play more hands.

Early, middle, late

Positions group into three bands:

• Early (UTG, the blinds postflop): act first, play tight.
• Middle: intermediate.
• Late (cutoff, button): act last, play wide.

Why the button is the best seat

The later you act, the more you've seen before you decide. On the button, you watch everyone else act first on every postflop street, then choose with full information. That advantage is why winning players make most of their money from the button and cutoff, and lose money from the blinds.

How position shifts each hand

The button moves one seat clockwise after every hand, so everyone cycles through every position. You'll be in the blinds, then late, then early — which is why your strategy has to change seat by seat rather than staying the same all night.

The takeaway

The seats — button, blinds, under the gun, cutoff, hijack — describe when you act, and acting later means deciding with more information. Play tight from early seats, wide from late ones, and treasure the button: it's the most profitable seat in poker.