The Cutoff Position in Poker: Strategy, Ranges and EV
What is the cutoff in poker?
The cutoff position in poker sits immediately to the right of the button, giving players late-position leverage without full button exposure. In cutoff poker, wider opens, stronger steal math and positional control drive profit, while awareness of button and blind pressure separates disciplined aggression from costly overreach.
What Is the Cutoff Poker Position and Where Does It Sit?
GTO Wizard defines the cutoff (CO) as the seat immediately to the right of the button, making it a late position that acts after most of the table.
Only the button and the two blinds remain after the cutoff, placing this seat firmly in late position and allowing observation of up to seven players before acting at a full-ring table.
In a nine-handed game, the cutoff sees action from under the gun through the hijack before committing chips. If early and middle positions fold, the cutoff can open with reduced resistance.
A simple probability example illustrates the value: if six players ahead each fold 70 percent of the time, the chance that all fold is 0.7⁶, or about 11.8 percent. That scenario hands the cutoff immediate control of the pot with no prior investment.
| Position | Players Acting After Open | Typical Opening Range | Postflop Position Rate | Strategic Leverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under The Gun | 8 | 12–15% | Low | Survival Focused |
| Middle Position | 6–7 | 16–20% | Moderate | Range Discipline |
| Hijack | 5 | 22–26% | High | Pressure Building |
| Cutoff | 3 | 27.8% | Very High | Initiative Control |
| Button | 2 | 40–50% | Maximum | Pot Ownership |
| Small Blind | 1 | 20–25% | Low | Defensive |
| Big Blind (BB) | 0 | Call Dependent | None | Equity Realization |
This frequency increases in shorthanded formats, making the poker cutoff position even more valuable as tables shrink.
Why the Cutoff Qualifies as a Late Position
From a payout perspective, opening to 2.5 big blinds to win 1.5 big blinds requires opponents to fold often enough to offset a 62.5 percent break-even threshold when uncontested.
Even when called, the cutoff often plays postflop with position against the blinds, which historically posts lower realization rates. These structural edges explain why many strategies treat the cutoff as a primary profit engine in both live rooms and the online poker sites.
Preflop Strategy Shifts From the Cutoff Seat
The cutoff position in poker opens up wider preflop opportunities because most opponents have already shown their strength or weakness. This seat encourages calculated expansion while still demanding awareness of the button and blinds, which retain the ability to apply pressure after the open.
Opening Ranges and Discipline in Cutoff Poker
Cutoff poker ranges are wider than in early and middle positions because fewer players remain to act.
At 100 BB, cutoff in poker opening ranges commonly sit around 27.8 percent in standard preflop charts, with the extra hands coming from suited broadways, suited connectors and small pairs that play well in position.
Discipline still matters; the button’s presence caps overextension, since it can three bet aggressively or flat with position. That dynamic separates the cutoff in poker from the button.
Opens must retain playability when called and resilience against reraises. This balance explains why many high-volume players treat the cutoff as a controlled growth point, rather than a free license to attack, especially on gambling sites where player pools are sharper and more polarized.
| Stack Depth | Recommended Open Size | Viable Hand Classes | Three Bet Frequency | Strategic Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–30 BB | 2.2–2.3 BB | Broadways, strong aces, medium pairs | Low to Moderate | Stack Preservation |
| 40–60 BB | 2.3–2.5 BB | Suited connectors, suited aces, pairs | Moderate | Fold Equity Creation |
| 75–100 BB | 2.5 BB | Full late position range | Moderate to High | Range Pressure |
| 150 BB+ | 2.5–3 BB | Speculative hands with playability | High | Postflop Leverage |
Three-Betting Dynamics From the Poker Cutoff Position
Three-betting from the cutoff relies on fold equity created by earlier-position opens and the threat of a postflop position. Linear three-bet ranges dominate against early positions, while polarized approaches dominate against late opens.
Use implementable preflop charts as your baseline for when to three-bet versus flat from the cutoff, then deviate only when the opener or players behind you show clear frequency leaks.
A cutoff three bet to nine big blinds over a 2.5 big blind open risks 8.5 big blinds to win four big blinds immediately, requiring a fold rate near 68 percent to break even before postflop skill enters the equation. Those conditions are common in online environments, including high-payout sites that offer fast-fold variants and deep liquidity.
Postflop Pressure and Control From the Cutoff
Postflop play sharpens considerably when action flows through the cutoff position in poker. Acting after most opponents while retaining initiative allows cleaner decisions, tighter pressure windows and more predictable pot growth across streets.
Continuation Betting and Pot Size Management
Cutoff poker often targets the blinds, where ranges are broader and more defensive. When the big blind calls a cutoff open, the cutoff retains positional advantage on every postflop street. That edge simplifies continuation betting decisions and enables selective pot control.
Consider a common cash game scenario. The cutoff opens to 2.5 big blinds, and the big blind calls. The pot reaches 5.5 big blinds on the flop. A continuation bet of 2 big blinds risks 2 to win 5.5, requiring about 26.7 percent fold equity to show immediate profit. Against blind ranges that miss the flop at higher frequencies, this threshold is reached often, especially on dry boards.
| Board Texture | Typical C-Bet Size | Required Fold Rate | Blind Fold Tendency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry High Card | 30–35% Pot | 23–26% | High |
| Paired Board | 25–30% Pot | 21–24% | Moderate |
| Wet Connected | 50–60% Pot | 33–38% | Lower |
This flexibility allows the cutoff to scale bets without committing stacks prematurely, a core benefit of late position play.
Exploiting Checks and Operator Rule Variations
Rule variations amplify this edge. Fast-fold formats like PokerStars Zoom reduce table reads while increasing volume. In contrast, deep stacked games at a high-payout casino emphasize turn and river leverage, where cutoff players can dictate bet sizing with greater confidence.
On crypto platforms, anonymous tables further reward structurally strong positions, such as the cutoff, where decisions rely more on range interaction than on opponent history.
Turning the Cutoff Into Long-Term Profitability
Sustained profitability in cutoff poker comes from converting positional leverage into repeatable decision quality. Skilled players treat the cutoff position in poker as a precision tool, using opponent tendencies and structural advantages to generate an edge that compounds over volume.
Isolating Weaker Players and Blind Pressure
The poker cutoff position excels at isolating weaker opponents who enter pots from middle position or defend loosely from the blinds. When a single caller enters ahead of the cutoff, a calculated raise narrows the field and creates a heads-up pot with position.
This isolation increases equity realization and reduces multiway volatility; it holds whether at a brick-and-mortar casino or on popular gambling sites.
A numerical example highlights the value. Suppose the cutoff raises to 3 big blinds over a limper and the blinds fold. If the isolated opponent folds 40 percent of the time preflop, the cutoff immediately wins 2.5 big blinds from antes and limps.
When called, the position allows higher realization. Over 1,000 identical spots, that fold frequency alone produces 1,000 big blinds before postflop outcomes are considered.
Research examining behavioral persistence in online gambling environments shows that structured decision points reduce impulsive loss chasing, as discussed in “Multidimensional Loss Chasing among Online Gamblers: Assessing Optimized Thresholds for the Prediction of Gambling Harm,” published by the National Library of Medicine.
In poker terms, the cutoff encourages preplanned ranges and sizing rules, which can reduce impulsive, emotion-led decisions in-session.
Refining Strategy Through Button and Blind Awareness
Awareness of the button and blind tendencies further sharpens the cutoff poker strategy. A passive button allows wider opens and thinner value bets, while an aggressive button tightens ranges and shifts emphasis toward three betting resilience. Blind profiles matter equally.
Over-folding blinds reward frequent steals, while sticky blinds demand stronger postflop planning.
If the small blind folds 75 percent and the big blind folds 55 percent, both fold 41.25 percent of the time (0.75 × 0.55). A 2.5 BB cutoff open needs 62.5 percent folds to break even as a pure steal because 2.5 ÷ (2.5 + 1.5) = 62.5 percent, so profit must also come from postflop EV when called.
Utilizing the Cutoff Position in Poker
Cutoff poker stands out because it blends information, initiative and positional leverage into a repeatable advantage that holds across formats and stakes. Used with discipline, the cutoff position in poker supports wider value creation, cleaner postflop decisions and steadier long-term results.
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