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Poker glossary

Hijack (HJ)

What it means

The hijack (HJ) is the position two seats to the right of the dealer button at a poker table. It’s considered a late position, sitting between the lojack (LJ) and the cutoff (CO). The name comes from this seat’s ability to “hijack” the action by raising before the cutoff and button get their chance to steal the blinds.

How it works at the table

In a 9-handed game, the hijack acts sixth preflop and varies postflop depending on which players remain. With 100bb effective stacks, the HJ might open to 2.5bb with A♠J♦. If the cutoff 3-bets to 8bb, the HJ faces a decision knowing they’ll be out of position postflop. When the flop comes J♥ 8♣ 3♠, the HJ checks and must navigate without positional advantage. The hijack’s power comes from acting after most players preflop while still having position on the blinds and early positions.

Strategic context

The hijack marks the transition from middle to late position play. Standard opening ranges from the HJ typically include 15-20% of hands, wider than early positions but tighter than the cutoff or button. You can profitably play suited connectors like 8♠7♠ and suited aces down to A♠5♠. The hijack benefits from fold equity against tighter early position ranges while maintaining reasonable equity when called. Against aggressive cutoff and button players, the HJ must balance between defending its opens and avoiding dominated situations out of position.

Common mistakes

Players often open too wide from the hijack, treating it like the button when two players with position remain. Another error is failing to adjust when the cutoff or button are aggressive 3-bettors - continuing with hands like K♦J♣ becomes expensive. Many players also misplay postflop by not check-raising enough as the preflop aggressor, allowing position players to realize their equity too cheaply.

The hijack works within the broader framework of table positions and stealing dynamics. Understanding pot odds helps determine which hands to defend against 3-bets. The concept connects to overall positional play, where each seat has distinct strategic considerations based on how many players act after you and your likelihood of playing in position postflop.