Position is action order before it is strategy.
In a two-player hand, the same button changes roles across betting rounds. Learn the physical deal and action order first; do not jump from “in position” to an automatic action.
Who acts first in heads-up Texas Hold'em?
Heads-up, the button is also the small blind. The big blind is dealt the first hole card and the button the last. Before the flop the button acts first; on the flop, turn and river the big blind acts first and the button acts last.
Core rule
How does position change between betting rounds?
Heads-up, the button is also the small blind. The big blind receives the first hole card; the button receives the last hole card.
Before the flop, the button acts first. On the flop, turn, and river, the big blind acts first and the button acts last.
Acting last postflop means seeing the other player’s action before choosing yours. That changes available information. It does not, by itself, prove that a bet, check, call, raise, or fold is best.
Reasoning boundary
What does position not tell you?
Position alone does not give you an opening range, an equity estimate, a bet size, or a solver recommendation. Those require a defined game model, stack depth, ranges, actions, and—when relevant—rake. This lesson deliberately stops before those claims.
Active recall
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Common questions
Questions people ask about position
Is the button the small blind or the big blind heads-up?
In a two-player game the button posts the small blind; there is no separate small blind player. Poker TDA Rule 34-B states it directly: heads-up, the small blind is the button.
Who is dealt the first card heads-up?
The big blind receives the first hole card and the button receives the last.
Does acting last mean you should bet?
No. Acting last lets you see the other player's action before choosing yours, but it does not by itself make any action correct. That depends on stack depth, ranges, and the rest of the decision.