When you finally come to appreciate the fundamental mechanics involved in the game of Texas Hold’em you will quickly appreciate that the position of a player will have a major effect on their success. However, before you decry the unfairness of a player being stuck with a bum position all the time, please be aware that the positions will change every turn. This is achieved by the dealer’s button moving around the table in a clockwise manner. The end result? Every player will be adversely affected by the “blinds.”

It is important that you appreciate the value that poker plays, as well as the relationship between the amount of information you have and the value of it. Put simply, the more information you possess the more effective your tactical decisions will be. If you act blind, then you will find that you rush into trouble.

The overwhelming majority of hands dealt in poker will rely upon position as a variable of some consequence and so it is for that reason then that we will consider the different positions that will crop up and from there, how they will affect the player. First up we have the blinds and these are situated immediately after the dealer button. Without a doubt, these provide the greatest amount of challenge to the player because they will be expected to play with no way at all of knowing what cards their opponents have. The next three spots are referred to as the middle position and these are better than the blind spots, although the slight improvement it should be noted is precisely that, slight. The next three seats are regarded as the late spot and as such they are much more favourable because the player who happens to be situated here will have a greater idea to their opponent’s strength. A wise player will be able to use this information to determine the best strategy forward. You may have noticed an odd quirk thus far: the blinds in the description thus far were actually the last hands to be used. Please note that this is only applicable in the first round, and that all later rounds of action, it is the blinds who are required to move first. The dealer’s button will then progress around the table as required, and this requires further explanation. The button is regarded with some avarice by players because it provides the shrewd player with an advantage just before the flop is executed.

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.

On the other end of the spectrum let us consider that you happen to possess the same hand for the cutoff and that there is a grand total of four limpers playing behind you. Based on the plays thus far, you assume that all of the players thus far have rather poor hands that will need some support when it comes to the flop. One option is to reraise the bet, however, it is important to note that when it comes to a hand such as this you could secure an advantage for yourself by limping. This may seem too much like leaving the game to chance, i.e. a risky and inadvisable move. However, limping in these sort of situations is actually a very credible and solid idea because it is possible to secure yourself a very large jackpot indeed which will more than cover your costs. The only thing to make sure in these sort of situations is to ensure that you actually have enough money to keep yourself afloat.

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 so important in Hold’em that hands can be won based on that advantage alone, having nothing to do with the cards. If you want to learn more I have a completely free 14 episode video series explaining such strategic concepts in poker.

Share This