Poker table position
Position is the most overlooked aspect of games like
Texas Hold'em by beginners. And that's a huge shame.
It costs these players a lot of pots.
Your position at the table is based simply on your position in
relation to the dealer. The dealer is at the most advantageous
position, as he/she gets to see how all the other players at the table
react before making their own decision.
Yes- if you have say KQs and are going up against 1 other player,
your chances are not bad- but if you're going up against 8 or 9
others who feel they too have a hand worth betting- your KQs is
not nearly so strong.
Now- if you are in an early position (meaning you are among the
first who has to bet) then you have no idea how many players will
be playing this hand when it's time to bet or fold your hole cards.
On the other hand - if you are in a late position (meaning you are
among the last to call) you not only have the knowledge of who
and how many players are in on this hand - but if anyone has
made aggressive bets. If you are in a late position and hold an OK
hand - say a small pair or a KJ - if everyone before you has folded-
you've got a strong hand - but if everyone before you has called or
raised – you know you've got a weak hand.
As you see - this has little to do with your hand - but more the
circumstances in which it is played.
The person to the left of the dealer is not only the small blind (SB),
but must act first after the flop.
The person to the left of the small blind is the big blind (BB). This
person is already obligated to the game and is in another early
position.
The person to the left of the big blind acts first before board cards
are dealt. This is often referred to as "being under the gun". The
clockwise motion of play allows those who act later (in late
position) to be at an advantage. As a result, those in late position
can play weaker hands or 'gambling hands' with less fear of
financial obligation or loss.
Tip:
The blind positions . . . and the player under the gun
needs to be very selective with their hands. They don't
have the privilege of watching other players
betting/raising before they must decide if they want to stay in
themselves.
The blinds and player 'under the gun' have the least knowledge.
As the play moves around the table, each player gains more
knowledge about what the other players are doing. Are they in?
Are they hesitating? Are they raising? Are they folding? The last
player to bet has the maximum knowledge and therefore the best
position – they are in what is sometimes called the 'cat-bird seat'.
Knowing how money moves around a table can give you a sense
of the importance of position at the table.
One of the little-understood benefits of last position at
the table is that you get a lot of free cards as well.
When you get a free card, you're taking a free ride. If nobody bets
during a round, you get that opportunity at zero cost. That's what
a free card is. Fine. A governing concept of free cards is that you get lots more of them when you're last to act than when you're first
to act. Even better, when youʹre last to act, you get control over
whether or not you take a free card. You can accept the
opportunity, or you can bet and deny the same opportunity to
your opponents.
"Befriend players to your left; declare war on players to your
right."
|
|
|
Most recent Poker articles published [Read All Poker Articles]:
Cake Poker stops working with ePassporte
Players at Cake Poker found the ePassporte option no longer available to them and rumors began to circulate that they were leaving no longer going to service online gambling companies – at least those doing business in the United States....
By James Kitts - Wednesday, April 30, 2008
ePassporte stops working with Internet Poker rooms
US Online poker players were dealt another blow this weekend when ePassporte stopped processing transactions with online poker sites....
By Lloyd B Hunt - Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Great Poker Stories
Here are a couple of great poker historical events: A man named Kenny Smith was a poker player in the middle of the 20th century. He always wore a silk top hat and whenever he won a pot he would stand up waving his hat yelling “What a player”....
Article written by Randy G. - Friday, January 18, 2008
Poker Psychology
Most other games like chess, checkers, or backgammon, all you need to do is learn the best strategy and you will be a good player. Poker has strategy but to be truly one of the best, you also need to employ poker psychology....
Article written by Randy G. - Thursday, January 17, 2008
Recent Month's Articles:
|
|
|
|
|
© 2005-2008 - online-poker-inside.com
- Everything you need to know about online poker rooms!
At Online Poker Inside we will NOT recommend a site until we had tested it out. All listed sites have been tested by a group of gaming enthusiastic people. We test these sites extensively for software reliability, support, fairness, game play and security.
|
