Position
When playing Poker you come across the term “position”, this refers to your place around the Poker table in relation to the dealer. Someone who “has position” on you is someone who will act (bet, fold etc…) after you, therefore they have the advantage of seeing what action you have taken before making their own decision on what to do. Of course you also have position on the person to your right. The person with the best position is the dealer as they get to see everyone’s plays before committing to their own (this is why the dealer button is passed to the next player after a game is complete).
Positions in Poker are split into 3 categories, these are:
- Early Position
- Middle Position
- Late Position
Early Position
You are said to be in an Early Position if you are with in the 3 seats to the left of the dealer. This is generally considered the worst position to be in at a Poker table as you are required to act more or less first before anyone else and therefore don’t have the foresight of other peoples actions. When you are in this position it is often best to play only the best hands here, if you are deal weak cards, fold.
Middle Position
Middle Position is generally the 3 seats after Early Position. Your better off in a Middle Position than in the Early Position as you have the advantage to see how the players in Early Position have acted, however don’t forget that there are still players who are going to be acting after you! You are usually able to play a little loser when in Middle Position than Early Position but some caution is necessary still.
Late Position
Late Position is usually the dealer and the 2 players directly to the right of the dealer. This is the best position to be in at the Poker Table as you get to make decisions on what to do using all the information from the players actions before you. Sometimes, if no one has bet in a round, the players in late position may win the pot simply by betting any amount - this is called “betting position.” A lot of Poker players know about betting position and may call a bet as a bluff when the dealer or one before him bets, but it works often enough that it’s worth trying once in a while.
