What is Meant by Under the Gun or UTG?
The player who is “Under the Gun” or “UTG” is the first player to act in a hand pre-flop. They are the player that sits immediately to the left of the Big Blind. The player who is UTG has a significant positional disadvantage in the hand, especially pre-flop. Everyone at the table acts after the UTG player pre-flop, so this will normally require a very strong holding in order for the UTG player to remain in the hand. After the flop has been dealt, the UTG player will be the third player to act, assuming that the SB and BB remained in the hand pre-flop. If the SB and BB both folded, then the UTG player will be first to act through any remaining streets. In the following example, you can see why the UTG player is at a major disadvantage in any hand: Example: The UTG player is dealt pocket nines pre-flop. The UTG player raises his pocket pair to 3X the Big Blind. A player in middle position re-raises the UTG player, and the Small Blind pushes all-in. Now the UTG player is faced with a re-
