Position in Poker
In poker, the same cards turning out in the same order will result in vastly different outcomes depending on where you’re sitting compared to the other players at the table. Hands that are profitable when played in late positions will often be extremely unprofitable if played in earlier positions.
Positions in Poker:
First some poker terminology: If you are first, second or third to play, you are said to be in ‘early’ position (the very first to act is also referred to as ‘Under The Gun’) If you are sitting in the dealer position (also known as ‘The Button’) or are one or two seats to the right of the dealer position you are said to be in ‘late’ position. All players seated between early and late positions are referred to as ‘middle’ position.
Early Position in Poker
If you are in ‘early’ position, the type of hands that you play must be predominately strong hands i.e.: big pairs or AK in a game of Texas Hold’em. The reason you must restrict your self to principally strong hands is because you have no way of knowing what other later players are holding, and if they later raise or re-raise your bet, you will have to fold all but your strongest hands. Therefore, folding your weak hands when in early position will allow you to save your chips for more profitable situations and positions.
Middle Position in Poker
When playing in ‘middle’ position, you will still have to be aware that the players behind you may bet or raise if you play the hand, and that they will have the advantage of seeing you act first for the remainder of the hand. You still need to play mostly high quality hands from middle position, but as there are less players remaining to act, you can afford to be a little bit more liberal in your starting hands. Additionally, you will be in a later position than any players who may have already entered the pot, so you will “have position” on them throughout the hand.
Late Position in Poker
When you are in ‘late’ position you have the advantage of having seen almost every other players action so far in the hand. You will have a rough idea about how highly each player before you rates their hand by whether they have merely called, raised, or re-raised. You will also get to see what your opponents do on the Flop, Turn and River betting rounds, allowing you to make better decisions. Additionally, if you enter the pot from late position, there is a much lower chance that someone acting after you will raise, as there are only the Button player and the players in the Blinds to worry about. All these advantages mean that you can often play a wide range of hands from late position, including suited connectors, suited aces, small pairs, and even hands with a gap in them such as 7-9.
Button Position in Poker
If you are on ‘the Button’ you are last to act in each betting round, and you usually only have 2 players to act after you (the two Blinds) so you can play an extremely wide range of hands. Some extremely experienced players may find that almost every hand is playable from the button, as the ability to bluff, and the ability to get maximum value out of your good hands is greatest when playing from the Button position.
The Blinds Position in Poker
When you are in one of the ‘blind’ positions, you benefit from having to call a smaller amount to play, as you already have some money in the pot. You will however be out of position for the remainder of the hand, which will not only make it harder for you to bluff, but will also make it harder to get paid on your big hands. For this reason, it is usually a good idea to play moderately tightly from the blinds, using a similar range that you would use in ‘middle’ position.
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