Positions in Texas Hold'em and their importance

People new to Texas Hold'em soon realize that the your position at the table in a given round makes a big difference. Knowing how to use positions to your advantage is one of the most important skills to become a good player.

In this article we will discuss the different positions in the poker game, with an emphasis on how to play each one. You will only understand this article if you already know the rules of Texas Hold'em poker.

Node Texas Hold'em , as in some other poker games, your position has a big impact on the game. It can be your biggest weakness or your biggest advantage. Logically, the position changes with each round. The button (dealer button) determines the positions in the round. Whoever is “on the button” will be the “dealer”. To his left, the small-blind (SB). And to the left of the SB, the big-blind (BB). But the one who really starts playing is the one to the left of the BB. This is the first – and worst – position in the game. The actions rotate clockwise. Once the round is over, the button is moved to the player to the left (also clockwise).

Dealer – the best position

Party Poker is back in Brazil! Learn about the bonus and benefits when creating your Poker Dicas affiliate account.

The dealer's position is the best of all. Before the flop, he is one of the last to act, ahead only of the blinds. From the flop onwards, he has the distinct advantage of evaluating each player's action before making his decision. In contrast, early positions are the worst, where you play without even imagining what your opponent will do next. We can divide the positions in Texas Hold'em into early, middle and late. We will analyze the blinds in a separate section, due to their peculiarities.

Tip: When someone says “you are in position on someone”, it means that you will act after that person from the flop onwards. So if someone says that they “called in position”, it means that they called a bet and will be in a favorable position over their opponent during the hand.

Texas Hold'em – Early Positions

Early position consists of the first two seats to the left of the big blind. These are the worst positions in the game, as they come with the inherent difficulty of having less information about your opponents, while your opponents will have more information about you. Early position is known as “under the gun” or “UTG“, that is, “at gunpoint”, which corresponds to the difficulty associated with this position. The big tip for playing in early position is to choose only the best possible hands, preferably those called “monster hands”. Entering the pot with weak hands or calling raises in these positions usually means a loss.

On the other hand, if an opponent opens a raise from these positions, there is a good chance that he has a great hand.

Average Positions

Middle position is generally defined as the 3rd to 5th player in the round. You are clearly in a better position than the early players, but you are still threatened by players in late position. You have more freedom of choice, but proper hand selection is still very important. Knowing the usual attitude of players in late position is also important. Be more liberal in your hand selection only if you know that your opponents play more conservatively.

Take advantage of your study time and create your 888 Poker account by clicking this link! You'll get $88 free* and you can also play our weekly $100 freeroll every Tuesday! (*$8 cash and $80 bonus).

Final Positions

The final positions are the dealer button and one or two more positions before the flop. These positions are the strongest in Texas Hold'em, having value both before and after the flop, as you have the advantage of seeing what most players have done before making your decision. Late position allows you to have a more liberal choice of starting hands. Hands such as suited connectors (e.g. 89s), middle pairs, Aces with another suited card (e.g. A9s), and other "speculative" hands start to have a bit more value and playability in these positions.

One important thing to note is that your hand is no different depending on the position you are in. In other words, just because you are on the dealer button does not mean your hand is invincible, so caution is always necessary. Late positions allow for greater freedom and ease of decision-making, but that's all!

The Blinds

The blinds, also known as the blinds, are the small blind and the big blind. These are special positions, as they resemble the final positions before the flop, but are the worst after the flop. The pre-flop round goes through all the positions, reaching the small blind and finally the big blind. This gives the blinds a reasonable idea of what the opponents who entered the pot might have. But that is where their advantage ends. They will always be the first after the flop, turn and river.

The blinds are already obliged to put money into the pot before receiving the cards. If there were no raises before the flop, you may see them paying little (small blind) or even nothing (big blind). However, many people forget about the positional disadvantage after the flop. Don't play speculative hands in these positions, and don't have the habit of "completing" in the small-blind.

Tip: in poker statistics, the positions that usually cause the most losses are the blinds, even after discounting the mandatory bet.

Conclusions

Position is one of the main factors in choosing your starting hands and in your attitude throughout the round. Every action in poker should take your position into consideration. Hands that would lead to a raise in good position may turn into a fold if you are in a bad position. Another important tip: be very careful when playing in early position, especially against observant opponents.