Holdem Position
by Bill Burton
Holdem position is
probably the most overlooked concept involved in playing
this game.
There is an adage that
says, “The Key to success in Business is Location, Location, Location”.
To
paraphrase that saying, "The key to success in Texas Holdem is
“Position,
Position, Position.”
Yet the majority of the newer players and some of
the
older ones either have no idea about the importance of position or they
simply
choose to ignore it. Before we even start to discuss starting hands,
you need
to understand the importance of holdem position.
To be successful
playing Texas Holdem you need to
learn the
three P’s: Holdem Position, Power and Patience.
Holdem Position is the first P because the strength
of
your hand (Power) is
dependant upon your position to the dealer button.
A
starting hand that you would throw away in early position
may very well be a hand you would raise with in late position or if you
are on
the button.
Your holdem position is determined by where you are sitting in
relationship to the dealer's button. Unlike seven-card stud, where the
betting
order changes with each betting round, the order is fixed
in Texas Holdem.
Before the flop, the
person to the left of the big blind bets first.
After the
flop, the first
active player to the left of the dealer button acts first.
If you are in early
position, you will remain there for all betting rounds. (Even though
the blinds
make their decision last before the flop, the have actually acted first
by posting
the blind bets.)
There are seven holdem positions in a ten-handed game.
Small Blind: Player
posting small blind
Big Blind: Player
Posting Big Blind
Under the Gun (UTG): Player
who acts first after the big
blind
Early: The
two players after UTG
Middle: The
two players after Early.
Late: The
tow players after Middle
Button: The
player with the dealer button.
When you are in early position, you have a distinct
disadvantage because you have no idea what the players acting after you
will
do.
It is possible that the pot could be raised and
re-raised
after you enter the hand. For this reason, you need to have a much
stronger
hand if you want to play from early position.
Before you
call the blind with a
hand from early position, you should ask yourself if you would play
that hand
if you knew the pot would be raised. If you would not call a raise with
that
hand then you should not play.
In poker, knowledge is power. The more information you have,
the better chance you have of accessing your opponent’s hands.
The
later you
act in the round the more information you have.
When you are
in late holdem position you have already seen what the
players before you have done.
If there has been a raise and
or re-raise, you
know that some of the players potentially have strong hands and you can
fold.
There are many hands in Holdem that are drawing hands.
Suited cards and connectors play well against a large field. Playing a
hand
such as a suited 9-10 for a single bet when there are 5 or 6 players
calling
the pot can be profitable if you make your hand.
You won’t
make your hand often so you want to make sure
there is enough money in the pot to give you the proper odds when you
play
these hands.
Getting correct odds means there is enough money in the pot
to cover the times that you won’t make your hand in relation to the
odds of
making your hand. If you play this hand from early position and the pot
is
raised forcing other players to fold, you may find yourself against one
or two
players with strong hands and not enough money in the pot to make it
profitable
to continue with your hand after the flop.
In late position after the flop, you have more information
to help you decide how to play. If you have a strong hand, you can
raise if
your opponents bet or you can bet if everyone has checked. You
may decide to
check to gain a free card if you have a drawing hand.
If
there have been bets or raises before you, and your hand
was not helped by the flop, you can fold without it costing you an
additional
bet.
In early position, you do not have this luxury after the
flop.
If you bet, there is the chance that you will be
raised. If you have
nothing and check in hopes of seeing the turn for free, a player in
later
position will surely bet and you will have to fold.
If you
have a strong hand and check in the hopes of check
raising there is a chance that others will check and you will
lose some
potential bets that would have gone into the pot.
Texas Holdem is a game of many variables. Your hand, your
opponents, your position and the action that preceded you are all
factors that
have to be taken into account during a hand.
No two hands
are alike which means
you can’t play every hand the same way. Understanding the importance of
position will help you in making the correct decisions. Players who
think that
they can play the same hand from any position are not going to be
winners in
the long run.
Learning to play the right hand from the right
holdem position will
go a long way in improving your game.
Texas
Holdem
Position is followed by Pot Odds
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