What is Late Position?

Late position refers to the seats that act last in the post-flop betting rounds — principally the button, which is the dealer position, and the cutoff, immediately to its right. Because action proceeds clockwise and the button is the final player to act after the flop, these seats enjoy an informational advantage on every street: they see how every other player has acted before committing chips. Worked example: you are on the button holding a marginal hand such as suited connectors. Three players have folded and the remaining opponents have only checked. From late position you can profitably raise to steal the pot, or call to see a cheap flop, precisely because no one behind you can spring a raise — there is no one behind you. The same hand played from early position, with the whole table still to act, is far less appealing because any of several opponents might raise and put you in a difficult spot. Why it matters: position is one of the most powerful and reliable edges in poker, and winning players open a substantially wider range of hands from the button and cutoff than from early seats. The button is the single best position at the table; the cutoff is the second best. A common mistake among developing players is to play the same tight range from every seat, forfeiting the value that late position confers. The mirror error is overplaying weak hands out of position simply because they are suited or connected. See also button, cutoff and position.