Cutoff (CO)
The seat directly to the right of the button. The second-most advantageous position at the table.
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What Is Cutoff (CO)?
The cutoff position benefits from being close to the button, acting after most of the table has already made their decisions, which allows for a wider opening range than earlier positions. Players in the cutoff often raise to try to isolate the button and blinds, taking advantage of the fact that only two players (the button and the blinds) remain to act behind them. If the button folds, the cutoff effectively becomes the last player to act on postflop streets, making it a highly profitable position for stealing and value betting.
Examples
A player in the cutoff raises with a wide range, hoping to either take the blinds uncontested or play in good position against them.
After the cutoff raises and the button folds, the cutoff enjoys effectively the best position for the rest of the hand.
Strategy Tips
Widen your opening range from the cutoff compared to earlier positions, since only the button and blinds remain to act behind you. Use the cutoff position to attack the blinds with steal raises, particularly against tight players who don't defend often. Be prepared to adjust if the button, a strong positional player, decides to 3-bet or call behind you. Study cutoff-specific preflop charts, since this position supports a meaningfully wider range than middle position but slightly tighter than the button.