What is table position in Texas Hold'em? If you take a close look at an online poker table, you will notice that the dealer button moves to the left after every hand. This allows for each player to put an equal amount of blinds into the pot as the game is played through each rotation of the dealer button. Position in Texas hold 'em A standard Texas hold 'em game with blinds The primary advantage held by a player in late position is that he will have more information with which to make better decisions than players in early position, who will have to act first, without the benefit of this extra information. The seats around a hold’em table are described as either early position, middle position, or late position. Early position refers to the players having to post both the small blind and the big blind and the players immediately following, depending on the size of your table. The middle position we be just that, the players who find. Position in poker is one of the most important factors affecting your chances to find out how to win at Texas hold'em more often. Playing with position on your opponents both reduces your risk.

In order to be a skilled and, therefore, successful Texas Hold’em poker player, you’re going to have to play a lot of poker. Experience is everything in Texas Hold’em and separates the great players from the decent players. That said, while experience means the most, there are still standard rules and strategies to follow that you can learn quickly. Every skilled player knows these sure-fire facts and uses their experience to build upon them. One of the most important rules to learn is playing Texas Hold’emby your position matters. If you don’t know what this means, you need to keep reading.

If you’ve played enough poker, you’ve hopefully noticed how most no-limit hold’em hands are played heads-up after the flop. There is a raise, someone calls, then those two players play for the pot. Very often, no matter the type of game you’re playing, there’s going to be two players left by the time the community cards arrive. In these heads-up moments, it’s obvious enough to point out that one player will be in the correct position post flop and get to act last on all streets while the other will not be and, therefore, must act first.

Most good players play the vast majority of their hands in the correct position. This is because when it comes to starting hand selection, good players fold more hands when they would be forced to play from out of position and play out more hands when they are in position. This is because they know there are many advantages to their position post flop.

Position

The seats around a hold’em table are described as either early position, middle position, or late position. Early position refers to the players having to post both the small blind and the big blind and the players immediately following, depending on the size of your table. The middle position we be just that, the players who find themselves between the early and late positions. The late position is the seats that include the button and the few seats to their right.

Once you see the table and the number of players there, it becomes rather obvious. All you need is the starting point to know who is where. The button, obviously, moves each hand to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to play from every position. The best no-limit hold’em playerswill play most of their hands from that late position, few from the middle, and very little from the early position. Most players are net losers when playing from early position. Now the important question, why?

Free Cards

There are many times when playing drawing hands when you would not pay a price to get to the next post flop street. When you have position over your opponent, this changes. You have the opportunity to take a free card if your opponent choices to check to you while you’re on the draw, checking behind to see the next card.

You Control the Pot

Getting to play last on every post-flop street will help you control just how big or small of a pot you end up playing. If you wish to play a small pot and an opponent checks, you can check behind, and if your opponent choices to bet, you can simply call and shut down the action. If you are going for a bigger pot, you can simply bet or raise when the action comes to you. When you are out of position, you won’t be able to check and be sure your opponent will check and let you see the next card for free. You can’t bet and be sure your opponent will fold or only call you, either.

More to Bluff

Having position on an opponent is very valuable and can often time make up for having a relatively weak hand. When your hand is weak, but you’re position is strong, you’ll still be in the hand because by getting to play last, you have more leverage when trying to represent stronger hands. This translates into more chances to bluff when your opponents who is out of position demonstrates weakness by checking to you.

Know Your Opponent

This is probably the best and biggest advantage to having a position because you are able to know how your opponent is going to play any given post flop street before you have to decide how to play it. Because of your position, you are much more informed knowing that while your opponent can always be trying to deceive you, a check usually means they are not so enthused by the what’s happening on the board and a bet will indicate that the opponent has interest. When playing from a primeposition, a lot of strong players will use their opponent’s action as the main factor when deciding how to play each street.

Texas Holdem Position Betting

Position at the Table

Your position at the table is simply your position in relation to the theoretical dealer. The dealer is well known as the best position since the player in that position plays last on each betting round (except the preflop). The advantage in playing last is simply the chance to see how all the players at the table react before making a decision to bet, call, or fold. It is always better to play last in any betting scheme.

The person to the left of the dealer is in the worst position on the table since this is the player that has to act first and this player is forced to put in half the maximum single bet before seeing any cards (referred to as the small blind position). Nobody likes to bet on a hand they have yet to see but this is exactly what happens in this position.

The person to the left of the small blind position is the big blind position. This player is forced to go in for one bet (and in fact initiates the betting without seeing their cards). The big blind position is known as the second worst spot on the table to act from and usually someone in this position that is betting has something worth betting with (when there are lots of players at the table).

The person to the left of the big blind acts first before each player receives their first two cards. This is referred to as 'being under the gun' in poker slang. The clockwise motion of play allows those who act later (in late position) to be at a significant advantage in the game. As a result, those in late position can play weaker hands or 'gambling hands' with less fear of financial obligation or loss.

The blind positions and the player under the gun (early positions) should be much more selective with their hands, as they don't have the privilege of watching other players betting/raising before they must decide if they want to stay in themselves.

For example, lets say you're under the gun (first to act). You have Queen-Jack off-suit and have placed a bet. A player after you raises and everyone but you folds – what should you do? Chances are good that this player has a better hand than you, with at least an ace or a king or a pocket pair. Unfortunately, you've already bet, because you had no idea what the other players at the table had in the pocket. A real gamble in this case. The worst part about this scenario is that you will always have to play before this person and in so doing give that player a big advantage over you throughout this hand. This is a typical situation where position is key to acting or not acting on a questionable hand.

Conversely, being in the dealers position for the above scenario not only gives you the benefits of observing how the other players are betting, but it also gives you the ability to adjust and influence the size of the pot. After all other players have bet, a raise by the player in the dealers position could potentially double the size of the pot or could limit the number of people who stay to see the next betting round. Usually players who have committed to one bet are very likely to commit to another bet, but this is the very situational trap that many undisciplined players fall prey to.

Texas Hold'em Position Betting

Position on the table is key to your style of play and your ability to be aggressive or passive with respect to betting strategies. Beware of the players who use their positional advantage with great skill. These are players you should want to learn from.