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Position Matters - The Importance of Position in Poker

Position in poker refers to where you act in the betting order. Acting last carries many advantages, as you get to see what your opponents do before you make a decision. This is considered very important by experienced poker players – to the point where playing too hands ‘out of position’ is considered unprofitable over time. This article looks at how to use position to your advantage as part of a balanced poker strategy.

We will start by clarifying why position is so important, showing which is the best position to be in, and using the fact that the ‘best hand’ will win a showdown regardless of position as an example. Next the ability to pick up pots where nobody has made a hand is discussed. Finally the key difference between absolute and relative position in the betting order is looked at.

The best position at a poker table is the ‘dealer button’ spot. The player here will act last after the flop, turn and river – enabling them to see what opponents do before making a decision to raise, call or fold. If the player on the dealer button folds before the flop then one of the players in late position will have the advantage of acting last.

New players often misunderstand the value of position, since the best hand will win a showdown regardless of where at the table this player is sat. For example, you hold 8-8 on the dealer button and call a raise before the flop. 3 players see a flop of 2-3-9. The player in 1st position has a pair of 10’s and bets, the 2nd player – holding Ace-Ace puts in a big raise. You see the action ahead of you and conclude that your eights are beaten, and fold without putting any more chips into the pot. Compare this with acting first – the flop looks fairly good for a pair of eights, you would have bet before finding out that you were probably beaten.

The key to playing in position is that you will lose fewer chips when you are behind in a hand and win more when you are ahead. While the ‘best hand’ will win a showdown regardless of position it is the ability to see your opponents actions – and react before you part with any more chips – that highlight the advantage of position.

Another scenario in which position becomes important is when everyone misses the flop. In this case you may see everyone check to you and win the pot by betting out. While on some occasions you will be check-raised, often a bet after the flop will succeed in stealing the pot immediately. If the board looks ‘scary’ you may elect to check-behind, betting if your opponents check to you a second time. From first position you do not have any information on your opponents reactions to the flop before you bet, making this a higher-risk move.

While proximity to the dealer button gives you ‘absolute’ position after the flop you also need to be aware of your position relative to the pre-flop raiser. For example 2 early position players limp and the player to the right of the dealer button makes a small raise – you call as do the 2 limpers. Here your ‘last’ position is dangerous. The reason is that the limpers are likely to check to the pre-flop raiser after the flop, regardless of whether they hit the flop or not. Now when the raiser continuation bets you have to act before the other 2 players in the hand – increasing the danger that you will be ‘sandwiched’ between the raiser and a call (or even re-raise).

This effect of being sandwiched between the other players is known as your ‘relative position’. While you can generally play a wider range of hands when you will have position after the flop, you should avoid calling bets in this scenario without a strong holding.

To summarize, position involves acting after your opponents after the flop, turn and river betting rounds. This is important as you can base your actions on the flop on the information gained from opponents. While the best hand will win in any showdown, position allows you to win the most when ahead and lose the least when behind – by definition the traits of a winning player. Beware of playing when out of position relative to the pre-flop raiser, even when you are in the dealer button position, as this can lead you to be ‘sandwiched’ between the initial raiser and the rest of the players in the hand.

Good luck!

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