Under the Gun & the Cut-Off
We talk about how important position is in poker. Betting first or last on any betting round has a profound affect on how we play a hand. Some of the standard betting positions have acquired nicknames that you should know.
In standard nine or ten player game with blinds (Hold’em or Omaha), we all know that the button moves and the two blinds are put out to the left of the button. We know the button will act last in all rounds except the first round where the blinds get the final action.
So the worst position during the first round of betting is just to the left of the big blind, this player is first to act after the deal and is said to be “under the gun”. The standard playing advice is to severely tighten up your starting hand selection when you are under the gun. Not only do you have to act before everyone else at the table in the first round, you will be acting early, if not first, the entire hand. You also must remember that everyone at the table knows you are first to act; so they are likely to back down on any raise you make, assuming you would not ‘act first’ without a very good starting hand.
The button is considered the most advantageous position in each hand, so it should come as no surprise that the closer you get to the button in late position the stronger you should weigh your position in any betting round. The place just to the right of the button has come to be known as the “cut-off” or the cut-off seat. You can expect either the cut-off or the button to attempt to steal the blinds in a unraised pot. In fact, the competition between the two players in the cut-off and on the button is one match-up that other players should be aware of each and every hand.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #61
