Texas Holdem Position

Position

In poker, position means power. It is almost always advantageous to act after you’ve had the benefit of seeing what your opponents do. Their actions provide clues about the real or implied values of their hands. This is true in every poker game, and is particularly important in fixed-position games like Texas Holdem.

There’s and old real estate bromide that says that the three most important features of any property are location, location and location. In Texas Holdem, the important features are position, position, position. Where your place is at the table (your position) is so important that some two-card holdings, which can’t be played profitably from early position, are cards you might raise when you’re last to act.

In a typical nine-handed game, early position includes both blinds and the two players to their left. The fifth, sixth and seventh players to act are in middle position, and the eight and ninth players are in late position. A button is often used to indicate the player in the dealer position. That player is always last to act.

Acting last is a big advantage

Acting later in a hand is a big advantage, so you can afford to see the flop with weaker hands when you’re in late position. If you’re last to act, you’ve had the advantage of knowing how many opponents are still in the pot and seeing how each of them acted on the current round of betting. That’s a big edge, because some starting hands play better against a large number of opponents, while others play better against a smaller field.

In late position you’ll also know which of your adversaries are representing strength by betting or raising. The later you act, the more information at your disposal. And poker is a game of information – incomplete information, to be sure, but it’s a game of information nevertheless.