Experienced students of poker strategy will be fully aware of the disciplines required to take advantage of good positions at the poker table. However it is an area that not many beginners are familiar with and many terms may be alien to them, leaving them at a disadvantage in both ring and tournament play. This is something that it is crucial that novices learn and also seek to take advantage of if they see poor positional play from other players.
The table is divided into three sections known as “early” (or EP), “middle” (MP) or “late” (LP) in relation to your position with the dealer (or “button”), and the players seated between you and the dealer will always have an advantage as they can see what actions you have taken and act accordingly. Therefore, it is fair to say that the position to be in is the dealer and that is why the deal is rotated – to give each player an equal opportunity.
Being seated immediately after the dealer is the weakest positions to be in. You may be familiar with the terms “Small Blind” and “Big Blind” (effectively betting before they have even been dealt their cards) and the third position on the table is the player referred to as “Under the Gun (UTG)”. Even though the pre-flop round of betting starts with UTG and ends on Big Blind, subsequent rounds always start with Small Blind and therefore it would be advisable to keep pre-flop bets to a minimum in these positions to avoid over-commitment in later rounds. Most strategists suggest that you should only get involved with very good hands from these positions – JJ or higher pair, high suited cards (Kh Jh) or even higher unsuited (As Qc).
Further around the table, Middle Position offers the opportunity to see what has happened over half the round, but you still have a minimum of three players following you in stronger positions. It allows you to be a little looser with your betting and get involved with lower pairs and lower suited cards. Even though you could be seated in Middle with a good pair, it may still be to your advantage to get to the flop as economically as possible, particularly in tournament play as the blinds increase.
The most lucrative positions to be seated at are the late ones. The “Hijack”, “Cut Off” and “Button” all have the advantage of being able to see what has preceded them on the table and can act accordingly. “Hijack” is so-called because it is acknowledged as the best position from which to steal the blinds with a sizeable raise. The “Cut Off” is an excellent position from which to raise the table, because if the “Button” subsequently folds, it is you who control the future rounds on the table. The “Button” is king. From here you can see all before you, and armed with this information can orchestrate future rounds of betting. Late position players can take more chances betting with the cards they hold. They are better situated to steal the blinds, bluff an opponent and manipulate the size of the pot. To be holding a good hand in a late position is fair better than holding the same hand in an early position, and to have this knowledge and apply it is priceless.
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