Understanding the basics of poker positions is fundamental to becoming a quality player. Likewise, mastering how to utilize positions in poker to your advantage is essential for turning a recreational poker career into a professional career.
There are many aspects of poker that must be considered when drawing up a successful poker strategy. Comprehending how poker positions work and how they affect you at the poker table is of the utmost importance.
If you ask them about how vital poker positions are, they will most certainly explain how important their position is at the table. Conversely, we are confident that losing players will typically be unable to confidently explain how positions affect their poker game.
Educating yourself about poker positions is not a free ticket to a career in playing poker. There are many steps involved. However, this is a very big step that is required for laying down the foundation for an effective poker skillset.
Before playing at the best online poker sites, consider reading on to learn about the importance of poker positions.
What Are Poker Positions?
Simply put, poker positions refer to where you are sitting at the poker table in relation to where the dealer button is on the table.
The dealer button dictates who is responsible for the small and big blinds. Additionally, the first card of the game is dealt to the player in the seat immediately left of the button.
The size of the stakes will establish how much the blinds are for each cash game. For example, in a 5/10 cash game, the small blind is $5 and the big blind is $10.
It is important to understand that poker positions change, along with who is responsible for the blinds in the game. Consequently, your approach and strategy must change based on your position changing at the table.
There are three main poker positions in a traditional poker game:
- Early position
- Middle position
- Late position
Let’s go over each poker position and how they affect you at the poker table.
Early Position
Early position in poker includes three players at the table. Both the small and big blind are considered early position players. Additionally, the player that is immediately left of the big blind is in an early position.
The third player, situated to the left of the big blind, is known as being under the gun (UTG). The early position players are last to act pre-flop. They will have an opportunity to read the table and evaluate how the rest of the table is acting before having to bet.
After the pre-flop action goes around the table, the big blind will be the final player to make a decision. The big blind can check, call, raise, or fold. If the player on the big blind raises, the action will go around the table again.
However, while early position players are the last to act pre-flop, they do not have that benefit post-flop. For all three betting streets, players in early positions are the first to act. The small blind is responsible for acting first post-flop.
Following the small blind, the big blind, and then the player under the gun will have a chance to act. In addition to having to post the blinds, these poker positions are in a tough spot in post-flop betting rounds. We will discuss why a little later on.
Middle Position
The middle position in poker follows the early position and comes before the late position at the table. This isn’t the worst position to be in, but not the best.
Generally, there are three middle positions, though it will depend on how many players are at the poker table. In a nine-player game, there are three middle position players sandwiched between the early position and late position seats.
However, if there are ten players at the table, then four players will be situated in the middle position. In smaller games, there may only be one middle position player in the game.
There are no inherited risks as a middle position player. That said, there are no strong benefits, either. The middle position is a no man’s land area at the online Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker table.
In these seats, play your game, but be aware that there are three players with better positions than you at the table.
Late Position
The late poker position is comprised of three players at the table. While late position players do not have the final bet action pre-flop, late position players have this opportunity for the rest of the game following the flop, turn, and river.
There are three positions that make up late positions in poker: Hijack, Cutoff, and Dealer (button). The closer to the button a player is at the table, the better position they are in.
This does not guarantee a win, but there are advantages to being in late position. The majority of profitable poker players will tell you that they win most of their pots from late position.
Hijack:
The hijack seat is immediately right of the final middle position player. They are usually two seats away from the button. The hijack can put pressure on the cutoff player and button, but does not have the final word in the game.
Cutoff:
The cutoff is referred to as the next-to-last player to act. With the right hand, the cutoff player can afford to be more aggressive than the rest of the table.
If the cutoff can force the player on the button to fold, they can “steal” the button and gain the best position at the table. An open raise in this spot isn’t a bad strategy.
Dealer (Button):
The latest position at the poker table is the player on the button. This player has the opportunity to act last. After evaluating everything that has happened, the dealer has the chance to act.
Raising or re-raising will begin the entire process, from early positions seats to late positions again.
Which position do you struggle with playing the most?
Position in poker is extremely powerful. Knowing which hands to play from each position will allow for fewer mistakes on later streets. 📈💥 pic.twitter.com/o2drDgF4P7
— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) May 24, 2023
How Do Poker Positions Affect You?
If you don’t understand how poker positions work, then there are going to be people that do at your table. Don’t be left behind and act without knowing how your decisions impact you and the rest of the table.
Overall, there are several more advantages to being in late position than early position in poker games. Putting yourself in position over your opponents is a winning poker strategy. We are highlighting four reasons how positions in poker will affect your game in-person or at safe online poker sites:
Late Positions Allow Players To Gather and Process More Information
Players at the poker table are continually relaying information to their opponents. Some players are better than others at picking up on poker tells. The later your position is in the hand, the more time you have to read the action before your move at the table.
Poker players on the button have an opportunity to read every player at the table before making a decision. Additionally, late position poker players know how the rest of the table is playing their hand post-flop prior to acting.
Knowing how others are going to act before you, is invaluable information. As a result, fewer mistakes are likely to happen in late position. Any good poker player can obtain a lot of information by playing in late position.
Opening With A Wide Range of Hands In Late Position
Opening up with a variety of hands late, is a power move by these players. If you are on the button, then all of the power is in your hands to open wider than usual.
Doing this in any late position is an opportunistic move. This is most often a good moment to quickly pick up the blinds in the pot. Late position players have fewer players to worry about in this situation.
Control the Pot Size and Hand In Late Position
The latest position player at the table will always be able to control the pots that they want to play and avoid. For instance, has there been crazy action in earlier positions and you don’t want to get involved?
Simply fold your hand and prepare for the next one. However, if you are satisfied with the pot size, call or check and head to the flop. In early position, there is no guarantee that the rest of the table is going to check.
However, when you are on the button in the latest position, there is no one behind you to act. You can check and see at least another card for free.
Of course, there is also the opportunity to get aggressive and raise. The onus will fall on the rest of the table if they want to get involved. Thus, the pot is being controlled by your late actions.
Loose-Aggressive Players In Early Positions Can Be Exploited
There is a time to play loose and bluff with mediocre hands. However, getting caught out of position with these types of hands can be disastrous if they aren’t played correctly.
Late position players tend to take advantage of early-seated players who get too aggressive with average to weak hands. The early position players have a tendency of getting abused by players in a late position with a stronger hand.
Getting overly aggressive and gambling early on in a betting round can work sometimes. However, doing this while out of position with mediocre poker hands is an unsustainable strategy long term.
Where To Play Poker Online and Practice Positional Strategies?
Don’t believe that late positions are one of the best advantages in poker? We suggest experimenting and tracking your success from early and late positions.
Ensure that you are logging all of your data and comparing it over a significant enough sample size. Give it more than 1000 hands for a healthy sample of hand histories on which to base your results.
More than likely, you will find that being in position over your opponents is incredibly important. What is the best online poker site for testing out our recommendation?
For Texas Hold’Em and Omaha players, we suggest checking out the Bovada poker room. In addition to there always being enough tables running 24/7, you can get started with an attractive deposit bonus.
Bovada is offering an exclusive 100% welcome bonus of up to $500 for a limited time. In other words, their online poker room will match your initial deposit of up to $500 for playing your favorite poker games.
Additionally, Bovada has a variety of poker tournaments to choose from. Other cool features at Bovada’s poker room are quickly being seated at a table, anonymous tables and a mobile version that you can play anytime, anywhere.
