Position

Also: in position, out of position

Where you sit relative to the dealer button, which decides when you act. Acting last ("in position") means you see what everyone else does first; the button and cutoff are late position, the seats after the blinds are early position.

Related terms

Full glossary

Button

The dealer position, marked by a round disc that moves one seat clockwise every hand. The button acts last on …

Cutoff

The seat directly to the right of the button. Second-best position at the table, and the spot from which playe…

Alpha (bluff break-even)

The percentage of the time a bluff needs to work to break even: bet ÷ (bet + pot). It is the mirror image of m…

Balance

Having a mix of strong hands and bluffs in the same line so that an opponent cannot tell which one you hold an…

Bankroll management

The discipline of only playing stakes your bankroll can survive. Rules of thumb: 20–50 buy-ins for cash games,…

Blind steal

A late-position raise with a weak hand whose main purpose is to win the blinds and antes uncontested. Steals f…

Block bet

A small bet made out of position, often on the river, with a medium-strength hand to set a cheap price and dis…

Blocker

A card in your hand that reduces the number of ways an opponent can hold a specific hand. Holding the ace of s…