Hijack
The hijack is the seat two places to the right of the button, just before the cutoff. It's a middle-to-late position for opening a moderate range.
The hijack (HJ) is the seat two places to the right of the button, directly before the cutoff. The name is often explained as coming from players in this seat raising to "hijack" the blinds before the cutoff and button could try to steal them. In a 6-max game, the hijack is the second seat to act preflop; in full ring, it comes after the early and middle seats.
Where the hijack sits
| Table | Seats in preflop order |
|---|---|
| 6-max | UTG, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB |
| 9-handed | UTG, UTG+1, MP, LJ, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB |
Some players call the 6-max first seat the lojack instead of UTG, but the hijack is always the seat just before the cutoff. Whatever the table size, the hijack always has four players left to act behind it preflop: the cutoff, button, small blind and big blind.
How to play from the hijack
With four players behind you, the hijack is a transition seat. You can open more hands than from under the gun, but you are still exposed to the two best positions at the table, the cutoff and button, which will be in position on you if they call.
- Open a moderate range: all pocket pairs or most of them, strong aces, suited broadway hands, and some suited connectors like 8♠ 7♠.
- Be selective with offsuit hands such as K♦ 10♣ or Q♥ J♠, which can be dominated or forced to play out of position.
- If the early seats have already raised, tighten up considerably.
Example hand
At a 6-max 1/2 game, the UTG player folds and you hold A♥ 10♥ in the hijack. This is a standard open; raise to 5. The button calls and the blinds fold. The flop is 10♣ 6♦ 3♠, giving you top pair with an ace kicker. You are out of position against the button, so a sensible plan is to bet for value and protection, aiming to keep the pot manageable if the button shows strong resistance.
Swap in J♣ 8♦, and the decision changes: that hand is fine to open from the button, but from the hijack it often ends up playing a bloated pot out of position against stronger hands. Folding is reasonable.
Key takeaways
- The hijack is wider than early position but tighter than the cutoff and button.
- Watch the players behind you: aggressive cutoff and button players should make you tighten up.
- When folded to, the hijack is a good seat to start attacking the blinds.
Frequently asked questions
Which seat is the hijack?
The seat two to the right of the button, immediately before the cutoff.
Is the hijack early or late position?
It is usually treated as middle position, sitting between the early seats and the late seats of cutoff and button.
Why is it called the hijack?
The common explanation is that a player there can raise first to hijack the blind-stealing opportunity from the cutoff and button.
Related poker terms
- Cutoff — The cutoff is the seat directly to the right of the button. It's the second-best position at the table and a prime seat for raising to steal the blinds.
- Button — The button is a disc marking the nominal dealer in Hold'em. The player on the button acts last after the flop, making it the best seat at the table.
- Under the Gun — Under the gun (UTG) is the seat directly left of the big blind. It acts first preflop, so it calls for the tightest range of starting hands.
- Position — Position in poker is where you sit relative to the button, which decides when you act. Acting later gives you more information and more control.
- Range — A range is the full set of hands a player could hold in a given spot. Thinking in ranges instead of single hands is the core of modern poker strategy.