Key points
- Position names are determined relative to the button, marked D.
- Whether you act later depends on which opponents remain in the hand. Acting later lets you see what they do before deciding.
- When the pot is unopened, play a tighter range when more players remain to act behind you.
Seat names and action order are standard in Texas Hold'em. The starting hand ranges by position and the factors used for acting later are specific to BlackPoker. They may change as the game is adjusted (values as of October 28, 2026).
01Position Names at a 6-Max Table
Position names are determined relative to the Button, marked with a D. The Button moves one seat to the left after every hand, so your position name changes each hand.
| Position | Location and Full Name |
|---|---|
| UTG | Left of the BB. Under the gun. First to act preflop |
| HJ | Left of UTG. Hijack |
| CO | Right of the Button. Cutoff |
| Button | The seat marked D. Button |
| SB | Left of the Button. Small blind |
| BB | Left of the SB. Big blind |
Postflop, the remaining players act in order, starting with the player closest to the SB. If the Button is still in the hand, the Button acts last. For the full action order, see the diagram in Rules and the Flow of a Hand.
02Why Acting Later Helps
Whether you act later depends not only on your position name, but also on which opponents remain in the hand. The CO acts before the Button if the Button is still in, but acts last if the Button has folded.
For example, suppose two players remain on the turn.
- If you act last and your opponent checks, you can check and see the river without adding any chips. You can also bet to try to take the pot. You choose after seeing what your opponent does.
- If you act first, checking may give your opponent a chance to bet. If you bet, your opponent may raise.
With the same cards against the same opponent’s hand, acting later does not make your hand stronger. What changes is how much information you see before making your decision.
In BlackPoker, calculations that compare actions on the flop and turn multiply win odds by 0.95 when acting later and by 0.86 when acting first. These factors are not used on the river and are not applied to the win odds shown on screen.
03Starting Hand Ranges Change by Position
When nobody except the blinds has entered the pot, you play a tighter range from positions with more players left to act. That is because one of those players is more likely to have a strong hand.
In BlackPoker, you enter by raising to 2.5BB in this situation. The same hand can get a different recommendation depending on your position.
K♠︎♠︎7♠︎♠︎K7s is in roughly the top 25%
- UTG16％Fold
- HJ21％Fold
- CO29％Raise first in
- Button49％Raise first in
- SB41％Raise first in
0％60％
The SB has only the BB left behind, but its range is narrower than the Button’s. One reason is that the SB acts first postflop.
After an earlier player has entered the pot, a different range applies instead of the one in this diagram. This is covered in Starting Hands.
04The Two Blind Positions
The SB and BB put chips in before seeing their cards. Preflop, they act near the end, in the order SB then BB. Postflop, they act first.
The BB has already posted 1BB, so it costs less to call a raise. As a result, the BB can sometimes consider calling with hands that would be folded from other positions.
05When the Hand Starts Heads-Up
When a hand starts with only two players, the player on the Button is also the SB and acts last postflop. In BlackPoker, the Button enters with almost every hand in this situation (about 95%).
This rule does not apply when a hand starts with six players and only two remain.
06Check Your Understanding with 3 Questions
Question 1A hand started with six players. The SB, CO, and Button remain on the flop. Who acts last?
View answer
Postflop action starts with the player closest to the SB, so the order is SB, CO, then Button. If the Button had folded, the CO would act last.
Question 2What changes when you act later?
View answer
With the same cards against the same opponent’s hand, position does not change which hand wins. What changes is that you can decide after seeing your opponent act.
Question 3When nobody except the blinds has entered the pot, from which position does BlackPoker recommend open-raising K7s?
View answer
K7s ranks among the top approximately 25% of hands in BlackPoker’s order. It falls within the CO range (about 29%), but not the UTG range (about 16%) or HJ range (about 21%).
07Try It in BlackPoker
When nobody except the blinds has entered the pot, press “Advice” preflop to see “When first in from this position, play the top N%.” From UTG through the Button and SB, you can watch this number change as your position changes.
Frequently asked questions
Which position has the greatest advantage?
The button. From the flop onward, the button acts last while still in the hand.
Does being in position increase your equity?
With the same cards against the same opposing hand, the showdown result does not change. Position makes decisions easier because you can see the opponent's action first.
Produced and edited by Predy GamesPublished:Updated:Report an error:Contact
View opening ranges by position in BlackPokerBlackPoker is a single-player Texas Hold'em game played without real-money wagering. Press Advice to see how wide a top percentage of hands can open from your position.
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