Position In Poker

We've all heard it many times: position is extremely important in poker. However, have you ever thought about why? This article is going to show you why position is so important, and how you can use it to your best advantage.

First of all, let's just discuss what position is. Position is your placement at the table, in relation to where the dealer position is. So, if you are the dealer then you are in the best position. However, if you are in the position right after the dealer, then you are in the worst position.

There's a slight change to that rule regarding the blinds. If you are in the small or big blind, then you'll act last pre-flop, but first post flop.

All right, now let's discuss why position is important. If you are in early position pre-flop, and have a decent hand, you should reconsider playing it. The reason being that there are many players to act after you, and you do not know what they hold. Even a hand like King Queen in early position should be thrown away. Once again, the reason for this is that it's likely that an opponent in later position will also enter the pot.

Besides pre-flop play, position is extremely important post flop as well. If you have a strong hand such as ace king, raise pre-flop, and someone calls you, you may have a hard time playing the flop. Since you're in early position, you're going to have to act first on the flop. If the flop comes down 342, you're going to have a tough decision to make. Although it is likely that your opponent also missed the flop, you may have to check just because he's in later position.

Position is even more important when there are multiple players in the pot. For example, if you have 78 suited in dealer position and many players see the flop, it could be extremely advantageous to be in late position. The reason for this is, if the flop came down 78A, you will be able to tell if you're ahead or not by what the players in front of you do. If there is a raise, a reraise, and in Allin, then you will know that you are beat, and you can throw the hand away. But, if you were in early position and the same thing happened, you may end up betting and losing many of your chips.

By now you should know what position is, how it relates to poker, and how to take advantage of it to help your poker game. If you follow the advice in this article, you'll be on your way to winning more money. Good luck!