Cutoff poker is the seat right of the button, with only the button and blinds left to act preflop. That near-late position lets you raise wider and steal more often because you see most of the table act first.
The trade-off is immediate resistance: the button can 3-bet or take position, and the blinds can defend or squeeze.
Cutoff Poker: What Is the Cutoff in Poker and Why it Matters
The cutoff is the late position seat just before the button, known for its balance of power and vulnerability.
You can attack blinds and pick up dead money without taking on as much risk as early position, but you must stay aware of the button’s leverage.
Every hand acts with near-maximum information, and good cutoff play links hand value with what happens behind you: button 3-bets, button flats, and how often the blinds defend or squeeze.
As a baseline, a 2.2 BB open risking 2.2 to win 1.5 BB needs about 59.5% immediate folds for pure “take-it-now” break-even (2.2 ÷ (2.2 + 1.5)). Postflop edge and position then decide how wide you can go beyond that point.
Cutoff Open-Raise Playbook by Table Dynamic
The table below is a practical starting point for 100-BB stacks with no ante; it is not a solver chart. RangeConverter’s solver-derived 6-max, 100 BB baseline opens the cutoff 27.18% with a 2.5 BB raise size, so ‘upper-20s’ is a reasonable default before lineup adjustments.
In the same baseline, the button folds 85.69%, 3-bets 13.7%, and calls 0.61% versus a cutoff open. That ‘low flat, higher 3-bet’ profile is why the bottom of a cutoff range gets trimmed first when the button is aggressive.
|
Table dynamic behind you |
Suggested cutoff open range (%) |
Typical open size (BB) |
Button’s likely response |
Your default vs 3-bet |
|
Button tight, blinds tight |
28–32 |
2.2–2.4 |
Folds too much |
Continue wider; value 4-bet more |
|
Button tight, blinds defend wide |
26–30 |
2.4–2.6 |
Calls less; blinds call more |
Trim offsuit; keep suited |
|
Button calls wide, blinds passive |
24–28 |
2.4–2.6 |
Flats in position often |
Favor pairs, suited broadways, suited aces |
|
Button 3-bets often, blinds tight |
20–24 |
2.2–2.4 |
3-bets at a meaningful clip; flats are rare in high-rake baselines |
Drop bottom offsuit; 4-bet value, call suited |
|
Button aggressive, blinds aggressive |
18–22 |
2.3–2.5 |
3-bet and squeeze frequency rises; bottom offsuit opens drop first |
Reduce opens; cut offsuit, keep pairs and suited broadways |
|
Straddle on or frequent limps |
16–22 |
3.5–5.0* |
More calls; wider pots |
Isolate tighter; drop weak aces |
*Live sizing often runs larger when limpers enter first or a straddle raises the effective stakes.
How to Play From Cutoff
The cut off position in poker plays best when the plan starts before the raise. The table above gives a simple baseline: widen opens when the button and blinds fold too much, then tighten as soon as 3-bets, squeezes, or wide flat-calls show up behind you. Range shape matters more than raw width. Build from pairs, suited broadways, suited aces, and a few thin offsuit broadways. When the button fights back, cut the weakest offsuit first, then the weakest suited hands.
Open sizing should match the environment. In many online poker games, 2.2–2.5 big blinds is a common cutoff size because it pressures the blinds without risking too much when the button fights back. Live games often need larger sizes, especially after limps or with a straddle, since the pot is already inflated and callers are more likely.
Quick cutoff 3-bet response ladder (100 BB, no ante):
- Fold-first group: weakest offsuit broadways, weakest offsuit aces, and low suited gappers that don’t defend well versus larger 3-bets.
- Call-first group: pocket pairs that set-mine responsibly, suited broadways, and suited aces that can make strong top pairs and nut draws.
- 4-bet-first group: strongest value hands, plus a small mix of suited wheel aces when the 3-bettor over-folds to 4-bets (use reads, not autopilot).
This keeps your cutoff opening range “defendable” instead of built around hoping everyone folds. RangeConverter’s baseline versus a button 3-bet has the cutoff folding 69.79%, calling 6.31%, and 4-betting 23.9%. Use that split as a starting point, then shift it with reads and sizing.
Poker Cutoff Position in Cash Games
Poker cutoff position gets sharper in cash games because rake and deep stacks punish loose late-position habits. Some players also factor in poker bonuses when choosing where to play, since promo value can offset part of the rake and change how thin a cutoff steal can be.
Key adjustments for cash games are listed below:
- Target the blinds, not the whole table: opens work best when blinds overfold or call too wide with weak holdings
- Keep late opens playable postflop: favor hands that can handle pressure on turns and rivers, not hands that make thin one-pair spots
- Treat button flats as a warning flag: tighten the bottom of your range when the button calls often, since you’ll play many flops out of position
- Adjust to 3-bet sizing: bigger 3-bets from blinds cut down implied odds, and weakest suited hands drop out of the continue range
- Use isolation raises against limps selectively: bigger pots invite more callers; isolate tighter when two or more players limp
Worked example (cash game, blinds only): You open the cutoff to 2.2 BB and the big blind 3-bets to 8.5 BB. Before you act, the pot is 1.5 BB (blinds) + 2.2 BB (your raise) + 8.5 BB (3-bet) = 12.2 BB. Calling costs 6.3 BB more, so the equity you need is Call ÷ (Pot + Call) = 6.3 ÷ (12.2 + 6.3) ≈ 34.1%.
That number is not a decision by itself, but it highlights why offsuit hands that make dominated one-pair outcomes perform poorly versus larger blind 3-bets, while pairs and suited broadways tend to hold up better.
Cutoff in Tournaments
Tournament cutoff poker changes as blinds rise and antes build dead money. Stack depth, measured in big blinds, decides how many streets you can realistically play.
Around 25–40 big blinds, cutoff opens can stay fairly broad because you still have room to raise-fold and raise-call without committing your stack. Around 15–25 big blinds, opens usually tighten and the plan becomes more preflop-driven, since a reshove behind you is common. Under about 12–15 big blinds, many lineups push you toward jam-or-fold decisions from the cutoff, especially when a short stack on the button can reshove with fold equity.
Pressure points matter too. Near bubbles and pay jumps, opponents behind you may 3-bet less because they’re protecting stacks, which can widen your cutoff opens. Tough tables flip that dynamic; aggressive buttons and squeeze-happy blinds force you to shrink ranges and pick hands that can continue versus a reshove without turning it into a coin-flip every time.
Common Cutoff Leaks and Adjustments
Cutoff mistakes usually come from treating the seat as “automatic aggression” instead of a spot that changes with the three players behind you. A simple fix is to tie every cutoff open to a response plan versus a 3-bet and a plan versus a flat-call from the button.
- Opening too wide into a tough button: trim the weakest offsuit hands first; keep suited hands and pairs that hold up better when the button takes position.
- Raise-calling 3-bets without a reason: call more with hands that can make strong top pairs or strong draws; fold the hands that land in dominated one-pair spots.
- Using one continue plan at every stack depth: around 15–25 BB, many opens need a tighter continue set because reshoves rise; deeper stacks allow more calling and postflop play.
- Letting results drive decisions: if tracking shows you’re losing more than 1.5 BB/100 from cutoff opens, the fastest correction is narrowing the bottom of your opening range and reducing calls versus 3-bets.
Cutoff Opens as a Stack-Pressure Tool
In solver-derived baselines from modern pools, the button applies meaningful pressure versus cutoff opens with a mix of 3-bets and calls, so cutoff opens should trim weakest offsuit hands first and keep more hands that can defend cleanly versus 3-bets.
Cutoff play gets sharper when it’s treated as a way to pressure stacks behind you, not a spot to “play a hand no matter what.” Late position gives you the chance to put chips in the middle and see who can realistically push back. That matters most when a short stack sits in the blinds, since reshoves can flip the hand into an all-in decision before a flop arrives.
In one WPT Championship hand, on May 29, 2025, at Level 33 (200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 big blind ante); WPT’s live update lists the exact sizing: cutoff to 800,000, small blind all-in 3,175,000, fold.
A clean squeeze example shows up on the money bubble at WPT Prime Lodge (Oct 9, 2025): cutoff opens to 18,000, small blind calls, big blind 3-bets to 54,000, cutoff jams 160,000. The sequence shows how a flat behind your cutoff open can invite a big blind 3-bet that forces an all-in response.
Using Cutoff Knowledge
Good cutoff decisions come from a simple routine: read the button, read the blinds, and pick hands that survive contact.
Illustrative example: You open cutoff to 2.2 BB at 20 BB effective and the button often jams 18 BB. Before the shove, the pot is 3.7 BB. The shove risks 18 to win 3.7, so your open needs a fold-friendly bottom and your continues must hold up versus all-in pressure.
Keep opens that can call off cleanly; drop hands that only play well when called deep. Adjust wider when the button is short and tight here.
Track who 3-bets late opens, who flats too wide, and who never squeezes; those patterns change your cutoff range faster than any generic chart. Post-session review can stay practical.
If gambling stops being fun or starts to feel out of control, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
https://blog.gtowizard.com/preflop-range-morphology/
https://rangeconverter.com/downloads/6-max-100bb-Poker-Charts-100z-No-Limit-Texas-Holdem-Cash
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