Why Is Position So Important In Poker?

Once you have finally mastered the basic rules concerning how to play the poker variation known as Texas Hold’em, if you want to step your game up, you will need to appreciate the role that your position will have when it comes to making a play. Once you have played a few hands you will quickly realise that your position at the table will differ with each hand that is dealt. The reason for this is simple: the dealer position is moved clockwise around the table.

The position you have at the table will have a direct impact on the information that you possess at the table and put it simply: the more details you have, the more effectively you can make your final decision. One thing is for certain: the earlier you are forced to play, the higher the odds are stacked against you.

The vast majority of poker hands will involve the table position as a factor in the equation, so let us consider in more detail how we should weigh it in our calculations. The early position which includes the blind spots is located immediately after the dealer. Without a doubt, these spots pose the greatest challenge for the player because you will have no idea as to the hands of your opponents. The name “blinds” is an apt one.
The next three spots are widely perceived and recognised as the “middle ground” and whilst they are not quite as severe as the blind position (though you will not have too easy an time here.) The next three steps in the cycle are known as the “late position” and this is regarded as the most favourable position as it allows for the player in this spot to know all of the players hands. As the cliché goes, knowledge truly is power.
Sharp eyed readers will have noticed that the blinds are acting last, however I must clarify this: this is only applicable in the very first round of gameplay. All subsequent rounds have this role reversed meaning that the blinds will be required to play their hand first and the dealer button is the last on the list. This has an impact on gameplay because many players will attempt to “steal the blinds” before the flop in a makeshift attempt to secure some sort of advantage for themselves.

Now that you are in a stronger position to appreciate the vital role that the table can play in your fortunes let us now consider a hand scenario which will also vary according to position. For argument’s sake you possess a ten and a seven (doesn’t matter which suit it is) and you are currently seated in the early position of the table. You decide to raise the blind to a grand total of $3. Unfortunately for you, another two players decide to step in and make a bid meaning that it is now $10. What should your next move be? You have a mediocre hand and it is not the most auspicious beginning. To make matters worse, the player who is situated directly to you will also be preying on your mind. Whilst he will have a major impact on the end result of your game, there is no real way to gauge or guess what he will be doing next. The worst thing about this kind of hand is that there really is no effective means of gauging just how much you will be expected to pay for the privilege of knowing what the price of the flop will be.

Let us consider the other end of the spectrum then: you have the same hand (7 and 10)during the cutoff stage and there happens to be four limpers who preceded you. Based on their limping, you assume that they have mediocre hands as well and therefore they will require a boost in order to get them to the flop. Whilst it is possible to reraise the pot, another option to limp through the play and hope that you stumble across a monster hand. With this sort of hand you will be well on the way to securing absolute victory because you will be able to earn yourself a major boon to your bankroll. With such a swollen bankroll you can then safely keep playing in order to recoup your losses.

However, you can always rely on life to throw you a curveball and a proverbial spanner in the works, and so you will need to be aware that in many cases the flops are sadly going to go right past you. As you play more often and get a greater appreciation for the value that positions have, you will learn that a weak hand in the earlier stages is not something that can be easily countered or recovered from.

Position is very significant in Hold’em, indeed it is no exaggeration that there has been entire games won purely on the strength (or lack thereof) of a decent hand.