The Importance of Table Position in Poker
One of the things which people commonly underestimate when it comes to poker strategy is table position. The average player would just employ a strategy and use it throughout the game, regardless of who the dealer is and who the blinds are. But an expert poker player can adjust his game according to his table position, and this makes all the difference. Table position can help you calculate the risk level of your decisions and also makes it easier to read your opponents’ moves. It is therefore important that you approach a poker table armed with the necessary knowledge about table positions in poker and how exactly they affect the game.
Basic Concepts
Position in poker refers to a player’s placement in relation to the placement of the ‘button’. This button goes around the table as the game proceeds, determining who the big and small blinds will be. Basically, the one sitting on the immediate left of the button is the small blind, and the one sitting next to him will be the big blind. Both of them are obliged to pay a sort of forced bet called ‘blind’. It is called blind because they need to wager their money even if they do not know what their cards are. The one sitting next to the big blind is the one who is ‘under the gun’, so to speak, as he is the one who will start the action.
In a regular poker table with 9 or so players, the seat positions can be divided into three: The Early Position, the Middle Position, and the Late Position.
Early Position
The small blind, big blind, and UTG (which is short for Under the Gun) are in the Early Position. Generally, those in the early position are considered to be at a tactical disadvantage since the other players merely have to react to their moves. Experienced players can draw conclusions from tells this early on in the game, and they can immediately adjust accordingly.
Middle Position
The Middle Position begins at the fourth player, the one after the UTG. Those at the middle position are at a bit of a tactical dilemma. They are slightly better off than those at the early position, but they are also at the mercy of those after them. If those at the early position move aggressively, those at the middle will have to decide whether or not to commit some money when they have not yet seen how the other players will react. Furthermore, those in the middle position are usually vulnerable to the ‘squeeze’. A squeeze is a situation wherein you want to call a bet made by someone in the early position but then, you are also in danger of getting raised by someone in the late position. Also, it is hard to control the pace of the game from the middle position, which makes it a big disadvantage if your cards are not so good.
Late Position
The ones at the late position, on the other hand, are at the best tactical advantage. They, especially the one at the button, have the option to ‘steal’ the pot with a good bluff, especially when all the others have checked (because this usually means that their hands are not that great). Furthermore, you can employ a semi-bluff. This is when you draw a card that makes your hand a bit better and you raise, which serves to intimidate those who bet out in the early and mid positions.
