Late Position refers to the last few players to act in a betting round during a poker hand. In a typical 9-handed game, the Cut-off (CO) and the Button (BTN) are considered late positions. This position is highly advantageous because players get to observe the actions of most, if not all, other players before making their own decision, providing valuable information.
Example
Imagine a 9-handed No-Limit Hold’em cash game. The blinds are posted. The player Under The Gun (UTG) folds, as do the next two players in Middle Position. The player in the Hijack (HJ) raises to 3 big blinds. Now, it’s the Cut-off’s (CO) turn to act, followed by the Button (BTN). Both the CO and BTN are in late position. They have the benefit of seeing several folds and a raise before they have to decide whether to fold, call, or re-raise. This allows them to make a more informed decision compared to the players who acted earlier.
Strategy Tip
Leveraging late position is fundamental to profitable poker. You should generally play a wider range of starting hands from late position compared to early or middle positions. This is because the information advantage allows you to make better post-flop decisions, control the pot size more effectively, bluff more successfully, and extract more value when you have a strong hand. Use late position to steal blinds more often, put pressure on opponents, and realize more equity with speculative hands.
FAQ
- Q: Which specific seats are considered Late Position in a typical 9-handed game?
- A: In a standard 9-handed game, the Cut-off (CO) and the Button (BTN) are universally recognized as late positions. Sometimes, the Hijack (HJ) is also considered a “late-ish” or “middle-to-late” position due to having fewer players to act after them.
- Q: Why is acting last such a big advantage in poker?
- A: Acting last provides a significant information advantage. You get to see how almost everyone else in the hand acts (fold, check, call, raise) before you have to make your own decision. This insight allows you to make more informed choices, such as knowing when to bluff, when to fold marginal hands, when to bet for value, or when to control the pot size, leading to more profitable play.
- Q: Should I play the same range of hands in Late Position as I do in Early Position?
- A: No, absolutely not. You should play a significantly wider and more diverse range of hands from late position. While you need premium hands to open from early position, the positional advantage allows you to profitably open or call with a much broader spectrum of hands (e.g., suited connectors, smaller pairs, suited aces) from late position, as you can navigate post-flop play more effectively with the benefit of information.