Tag Archives: positions

The Importance of Position in Poker

October 3, 2019   Personal game   No comments

First off, how would you define position? Well, simply put, your position in the game is your relationship to other players with regards to the betting for a hand.

  • Texas Hold’em

    • Like in most other games, position is of great importance in Texas Hold’em as well. And this is very apparent from the fact that you always want to make your decisions after the opponents have made theirs. And that’s not all. In this card game, everyone is basically playing with nothing. The idea is to see who will manage to make the best decisions and get their nothing to win the pot. But keep in mind that having a good position does not mean that you will automatically make superior bets.

    In Texas Hold’em however, the last position is definitely the best. It gives you the edge you are looking for, especially if there are only two players vying for the pot. Other positions can be beneficial as well, but not as much as being the last to act. And good players will take advantage of this and play lesser hands in early position and more in late position.

  • The Stud games

    • In games like 7 Card Stud and Stud Hi-Low, position is changeable and hence, so is its importance. Understanding positions and their meanings is a little complex in these games. There are some hands which can be played more when you are not the high hand. In case you are acting first, then representing hands assume more importance. And in certain other situations, you can make your play more aggressive when an opponent shows a king or an ace, forcing them to act first all through the hand.

  • Omaha Hi

    • In comparison to Texas Hold’em, positions in Omaha Hi can be very complicated. While the last position has its advantages, it is interesting to note that in this variation of poker, it has several disadvantages as well. For instance, you are throwing your game away if you decide to bluff in the last position and your opponents are all good players. The right place to bluff is when you have the middle position.

    However, there are disadvantages to the middle position too. Since Omaha Hi means you have to share the winning pot, playing becomes very tough from the middle position. Most players fare very poorly if they are stuck here.

    In all, the last position is definitely not the best in Omaha Hi. Just keep in mind that in case you have a low hand, it is beneficial to bet first. If you have the nut high hand, then playing in last position will be very advantageous.

  • Summary

    • The bottom line is that the simplistic rules of Texas Hold’em don’t apply much when you are playing the Stud games or Omaha Hi. Positions change very fast in these games and it is wise for a player to think fast and then act. That is why, it is very important for all players to learn how they can control their position to give them the maximum advantage.

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    Positions at Poker Tables

    July 26, 2019   Personal game   No comments

    Position of players at poker tables is extremely important and strategic. The poker table position of a player may be the make or break factor in a game. The position of a player is where he sits vis a vis other players. Usually the point of reference is the dealer and what is significant is whether the person in question would have an early or late action in one round of betting.

    Since the dealer is the point of reference, he usually moves from position to position so that everyone gets a fair share of being in each position. Being the last to act is considered the best.

    There are nine players in a full table. The different categories of positions are a) The early positions b) The middle positions c) The Late positions.

    Early positions are the three positions to the left of the dealer. These are the worst positions because these position holders have to be the first to bet without having any idea about the other players’ strengths. Amongst the early positions the person exactly to the left of the dealer is the small blind. The person to his let is the big blind. The small blind has to put in any minimal amount before dealing of cards happen. The big blind has to put in an amount bigger than that of the small blind usually double.

    Middle positions are better than early positions because they get to know about the early position holder; however they still have no information on the late hands. The remaining are the late positions consisting of the dealer and the other two players to his right. These are the best positions as they have the most information on all other players.

    Poker being a game of chance and luck as also a game of information, complete or incomplete-the more information one has the better are his chances of making an informed decision and thus better are the chances of win. Fortunately it is easy to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each position and thus the strategies that has to be adopted.

    In the early positions one has to play the best hands because being the earliest to act every precaution needs to be taken. The middle position holders too need to be cautious but they are definitely at an advantage. The best of course are the late position holders and they can afford to be least cautious.

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