Why Table Positions Are Important in Poker Games?

As a beginner, you may think that the game of Poker is completely based on the cards you get. However, there are a number of things that may influence your winning chances in Poker. And one of them is the Poker table position. Continue reading to know what Poker positions are and why they are so important in Poker games.

What is position in Poker?

Simply put, the term “position” is used to refer to the place where the player is sitting on a Poker table. In most Poker games, your position is defined in connection with the dealer. Also, your position determines whether you’ll be first or lost to make your wager.

When playing Poker at a land-based casino, you may be told by a player sitting on your left side that has a “position on you”. What this essentially means is that the player will always play after you’ve acted upon your playing decision.

What is the dealer button?

In popular Video Poker variations such as Texas Hold’em, you’ll find the dealer button. Also referred to as buck, the dealer button is essentially a pointer or marker on the Poker table. The function of the dealer button is to indicate the point from where the gameplay action will commence. In most Poker games, the button gets naturally shifted to the player who was having a small blind in the previous hand.

In some instances, a player may be positioned between a small blind (SB) and a big blind (BB). Here, they need to wait for one gameplay round to let the dealer button pass over. Without that, the player would have to place the big blind two times consecutively. Check out our article on the history of Poker to know more about how the dealer button was introduced.

The concept of Blinds in Poker

Blinds is another important concept that you need to know as a Poker player. To explain simply, Blinds are a kind of force wagers in the game of Poker. But unlike other Poker bets, these bets are only placed by players who are sitting at the blinds positions.

Below are two types of Blinds you’ll come across in the game of Poker:

Small blind

This is the first forced wager that needs to be placed when playing Poker at online casino UK. This bet is placed by the player who’s sitting on the immediate left of the dealer button. Usually, the size of this wager is half of the big blind, hence the name.

Big blind

This is the second forced bet that’s made in the game of Poker. This bet is placed by the player occupying the big blind position, which is on the immediate left of the small blind and the second left to the dealer button.

Positions in Poker

The game of Poker consists of three positions. Below we’ve explained them in detail:

Early Position (EP)

With some rare exceptions, Early Position means the three seats that are to the left of the dealer. That way, EP is made up of the small blind, the big blind and the seat that’s on the immediate left of the big blind. The seat on BB’s left is referred to as ‘Under the Gun’ in almost all Poker games.

Some of the best Poker players believe that EP is the worst place to be in. This is because players sitting in this position need to act first, making it hard for them to work on their Video Poker strategy. As you’d guess, the player who’s on the immediate left of the UTG is known as UTG+1, the player left to that is UTG+2, and so on.

Middle Position (MP)

The next position on the Poker table is the Middle Position. It usually consists of UTG+2 and UTG+3, and some Poker games also consider Hijack (HJ) as MP. With MP, you have the advantage of not being required to play at the very start of the game.

As a Middle Position player, you can start to open a wider range of hands. However, you do need to keep that range under control. This is because there are still some players that are remaining to act in the round.

Late Position (LP)

If you act after the players in EP and MP have made their moves, you’re said to be in the Late Position. This position consists of the last two/three seats on the Poker table, which includes the cutoff (position on the right of the button) and hijack (position on the right of the cutoff).

For many Poker players, LP is one of the best positions to be in. This is because these players know the moves made by most opponents at the table. While this may not change their Poker odds, it can help in making more effective decisions.

Why positions are important in Poker games?

Below we’ve listed some of the reasons why position is so important in the game of Poker:

Knowing other players’ action

The game of Poker is all about trying to make the best move based on the available information. So, it never hurts to have additional information. And being in the last spot means you’ll be knowing the moves made by most opponents.

Pot control

Being the last one to act on every post-flop means you have control over the size of the pot. And this can be crucial at times. For instance, you can keep the size of your pot small by checking after your opponent or by folding. Also, you can increase the size of your pot if you want to play a big pot.

Increased chances of bluffing

In Poker, having position on your opponents can even compensate for a comparatively weak hand. For example, you may not be having the best Poker hand, but by being able to play last you can bluff that you possess a strong hand.

Conclusion

Now that you have an in-depth understanding of the concept of position in Poker, you can make more effective decisions at Poker tables. Also, having knowledge about table positions will help you figure out your playing strategy. Of course, Poker is a game of skill, but it also has the element of skill to it. So, make sure to have a proper Poker bankroll management system in place and always play responsibly.