The term under the gun refers to the position at a poker table that acts first on a betting round. It is generally used in poker games that have blinds and a dealer button, such as Texas hold’em or Omaha hold’em. The player seated in this position is the first to act pre-flop, meaning they must call or raise before any other players.

The player seated under the gun will usually be required to make a small blind bet before they can raise in a hand. They also may be required to post a “live straddle” – a bundle of chips held together with a rubber band or other token that obligates them to straddle the small blind pre-flop.

A player seated under the gun is at a major disadvantage as they have no idea what any other players at the table are holding or their intentions for their hand. Therefore, they must keep their range tight and only raise with strong hands. This will allow them to avoid getting crushed by opponents with strong opening ranges and bluffing in the middle of their stack, which is better left for late position.

Understanding the different positions in poker and how to adjust your strategy based on each one is vital to becoming a good poker player. Having a thorough understanding of how each different position at the poker table affects your relative and absolute positions will allow you to play the game more efficiently and win more money.

Under the gun is a difficult position to be in pre-flop, as it puts you at a positional disadvantage with eight players left to act behind you. This is why you should play a tight range of hands from UTG and only raise with your strongest ones.

When you open from under the gun, it is unlikely that the other players at the table will just fold to your raise. Instead, they will likely 3-bet, and if they do this, you will need to be prepared for them to have a strong hand and you should continue to play your best hands.

Another issue when playing from under the gun is that you will not know how many players are in the hand, and this can be difficult for some people to deal with. If you are playing with a partner, this can be an especially big issue as you will not know what your opponents’ stack size is.

Despite the fact that you are at a disadvantage when you play from under the gun, it is important to remember that this position can be profitable if played correctly. If you are not a great poker player, it may take some time before you are able to become profitable in this position, but the effort will be worth it. Just remember to keep your range tight and save your bluffing for later positions like the cutoff and button. Also, try to avoid chasing draws from this position as it is very easy for your opponents to read.