Under the Gun

[John MacEnroe]

Just a simple question -

Who is under the gun first in a betting round - over here it's common practice that its the player left of the big blind every round.

I've encountered house games where it's the small blind or sometimes the last to raise (they were jokers though).

Just in case anyone plays with different rules or knows the universal rule.

[Poker_Vendetta]

In all of the tournaments I've seen the guy to the left of the big blind is indeed UTG, the small blind, however DOES go first AFTER the preliminary betting rounds. So UTG is the worst preflop and SB is worst postflop.

[HalfSugar]

Hmm. I've always played that pre-flop the guy to the left of the BB is UTG and post flop it's always the player with the dealer button. The guy to the left of the dealer button posts the SB in my games, am I wrong now or something?!

[Poker_Vendetta]

I'm not sure where the SB is but I'm just saying when they act.

[ballbp]

Pre-flop, the person to the left of the BB is the first to act since he has no action in the pot. After that, it's the person on the left of the button to act first. That's the advantage of the button, last to act. Right?

[HalfSugar]

Ok, I'm worried now cos I don't know if I've been playing wrong all this time. I'm sure I haven't been, at least I hope not. I'm gonna ring my old uni mate and see wot he says cos it's bugging me now!

[highscty]

ball is right... at least in every type of game i've played. I have heard that some home games force the dealer to act first to as to even out advantages, but that doesn't make any sense.

[ballbp]

I guess I should have added that in heads up, the button does act first. If that is what you meant, I appologize. Any other time, he is last.

[ballbp]

Now that too was incomplete. I need to have my coffee before I start trying to communicate. In heads up, PREFLOP the button acts first since he is the SB. From then on, he is last.

[Poker_Vendetta]

Ah, I did not remember that part of it...You are certainly correct, it just seems I heard somewhere that the SB is the basic worst position on the table...Oh well.

[DDiehr]

I think the wording is getting everyone confused. The under-the-gun (UTG) player, is the name of the person first to act, pre-flop, after the blinds. On all succeeding rounds, the UTG player is still called the UTG player, but he is no longer first to act (unless the blinds have both folded), As far as the button goes, he is most certainly not first to act. The button acts last, that's the point of having the button! After the preflop betting, all action starts with the first player left of the button and ends with the button.

Heads-up play is a little different. In heads up play, the button has the small blind and the other player has the big blind. The button is first to act pre-flop, but goes back to being last on all subsequent rounds.