What is an Orbit in Poker?

Introduction

Winning at Poker isn’t just about playing good hands. It is also about understanding the rhythm of the game. Every player experiences different positions as the dealer button moves, and knowing how to adjust accordingly can make a huge difference. One essential but often overlooked concept that affects this movement is the orbit.

Here’s everything you need to know about this key element of the game.

What is an Orbit in Poker?

An orbit refers to a full cycle in which each player at the table has had the chance to act from every possible position, including the small blind, big blind, and dealer (button). Essentially, an orbit is completed when the dealer button moves around the table and returns to its original position.

An orbit is measured in hands, where each hand represents a single round of play. The number of hands in an orbit is equal to the number of players seated at the table.

• In a 6-max (6-handed) table, an orbit consists of 6 hands.
• In a 9-handed (full ring) table, an orbit consists of 9 hands.

At the end of an orbit, every player has had a turn in each table position, including the early position (EP), middle position (MP), late position (LP), and the blinds.

Why is an Orbit Important in Poker?

Orbits are important for the following reasons:

Blind Structure and Stack Management

For every orbit, players must contribute blinds (small blind and big blind). This means that players who fold too often will still lose chips due to forced bets. In cash games, understanding the number of orbits helps determine how often you are paying blinds, which influences your overall profitability. In tournaments, where blinds increase over time, keeping track of orbits helps in making strategic decisions, such as when to push all in or when to tighten up.

Positional Strategy

Since Poker is a game of position, tracking orbits helps you balance your play across different positions. Stronger hands are generally played from late position (cutoff, button), while tighter play is required from early positions (under the gun, UTG+1).

For every orbit, you must adapt your play to different table positions.

Tournament Strategy and Blind Pressure

In tournament poker, knowing the number of orbits before blinds increase allows players to plan aggressive or defensive moves. If a player has a short stack, they may only have a few orbits left before they are blinded out, forcing them to shove all-in sooner.

Examples of Orbits in Poker

Example 1: Orbit in a 6-Max Cash Game

Let’s consider a 6-max No-Limit Hold’em cash game with the following players:

Each player will play from every position once in a 6-hand cycle, completing an orbit.

Example 2: Orbit in a 9-Handed Tournament Table

In a 9-player tournament, an orbit consists of 9 hands, and each player will experience each position once.

After 9 hands, the dealer button returns to Player A, completing an orbit.

How Orbits Affect Poker Strategy

Bankroll Management in Cash Games

In cash games, where blinds remain constant, an orbit impacts your long-term profitability and bankroll management.

The Cost of Playing Too Tight

Since players are required to post blinds once per orbit, tight players who fold too often risk losing money passively. Even if you don’t play a single hand, you will still lose chips from posting the small blind and big blind every orbit. If a player is too passive and doesn’t counterattack, they become an easy target for aggressive opponents.

How Aggressive Players Exploit Orbits

Skilled players steal blinds frequently from late positions (button and cutoff) to take advantage of tight opponents. If a player folds too much from the small blind or big blind, aggressive players will attack their blinds every orbit with wide raising ranges.

This creates an imbalance, where tight players consistently lose chips without ever playing hands, reducing their win rate.

Adapting to Orbit-Based Blind Payments

To counteract blind losses, players must defend their blinds selectively and steal blinds when in a late position. Playing too tight across multiple orbits will eventually drain your stack, forcing you into unfavorable shove-or-fold situations. The best approach is a balanced strategy, mixing aggression with selective folding.

Tournament Survival and Push/Fold Strategy

In tournaments, understanding orbits is crucial for survival, especially when short-stacked.

1. Calculating Survival Based on Orbits

If a player has 10 big blinds (BB) or fewer, they must determine how many orbits they can survive before being blinded out. For example, in a 9-handed game, if a player has 10BB, they will lose 1.5BB per orbit (small blind + big blind), meaning they will survive about 6-7 orbits before being forced all-in.

2. The Importance of Timely Shoves

Players should not wait until they are too short-stacked before making a move. The best time to shove all-in is before reaching a desperate stack size (around 6-8BB). If the next blind level increase will reduce your stack below 10BB, it’s better to shove aggressively rather than become a sitting target.

3. Adjusting Strategy as Orbits Change

As tables become short-handed (fewer players remaining), the number of hands per orbit decreases. This means players will pay blinds more frequently, increasing the urgency to act. Tournament players must adapt by playing looser ranges in late position and looking for profitable shove spots rather than waiting for premium hands.

Hand Selection and Position

Since every orbit forces you to play from different positions, players must adjust their hand selection and aggression level accordingly.

1. Playing Tight in Early Positions

• In the early positions (UTG, UTG+1), players act first, making it riskier to play marginal hands.
• Skilled players avoid weak hands here since they may face multiple raises from later positions.
• Standard opening ranges in early position are tight (only strong hands like AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ).

2. Exploiting Late Position (Cutoff & Button)

• The cutoff (CO) and button (BTN) are the best positions to steal blinds because they act last post-flop.
• Aggressive players raise a wider range of hands (such as suited connectors, weaker aces, and mid-pairs) to steal the blinds.
• Players in the small blind and big blind must be selective about defending against these raises, as they will be out of position post-flop.

3. Defending the Blinds Strategically

• Blind defense is essential because every orbit, you are forced to post blinds, making these positions unavoidable.
• If you fold too often from the big blind, you become an easy target for steals.
• However, calling too wide from the blinds can also lead to losing chips unnecessarily.
• The best approach is to defend with hands that play well post-flop (suited connectors, high-card hands, and strong pairs).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hands are in an orbit in Poker?

The number of hands in an orbit equals the number of players at the table. In a 6-max game, an orbit consists of 6 hands. In a 9-max (full ring) game, an orbit consists of 9 hands. Each hand shifts the dealer button one seat to the left, ensuring all players rotate through every position.

Why is tracking orbits important in Poker?

Tracking orbits helps manage blind payments, position strategy, and tournament survival. It allows players to estimate when they must post blinds again, adjust aggression based on position, and determine when to shove in short-stack tournament situations.

Can you miss an orbit in Poker?

If you sit out, the game will continue without you, and you will still post blinds when required. In tournaments, missing too many orbits leads to elimination as your stack is reduced by blinds and antes. In cash games, you can sit out but must post blinds when returning.

Conclusion

In Poker, understanding orbits is more than just tracking the movement of the dealer button. It is about reading the game's pace and adjusting your strategy accordingly. Position plays a key role across orbits, as each hand presents a different opportunity based on where you sit. Mastering this cycle ensures that you maximize your winnings in late positions while avoiding costly mistakes in early ones.