The position of the hand in a poker game
Where are you in relation to other players? Almost all the tips for beginners will start with the selection of starting hands. But they should not … you can not think about hand selection, without having thought about the position.
There are several things in a poker game that should be considered before thinking about the hand you have, and that sometimes, they deserve a thorough analysis. The position is one of those things, and probably the most dramatically affect the value of your hand. The position should be taken into account in each and every decision before thinking about anything else.
When you study the position, it is common to think in terms of your place in the order of betting Are you the first? Who’s last? That is the most common way of thinking about the position, but there is a better way. Not so much where are you in line, but where are all the others. A subtle difference …
In itself, being the first does not mean much. Being forced to act sooner than nine players, that does have meaning. The number of players left to act after you, that is the key variable. Be the first four players behind does not, even remotely, the same as being the first with nine players behind.
The position matters even when you consider how it affects the action that has occurred in front of you. Not just your position but that of the other players as well.
Depending on the exact circumstances, players who have performed in front of you, can have place behind you in the next round of betting. Players who have performed in front of you, may actually be behind. It is not as contradictory as it sounds …
If you are in a table of 10 players and an opponent has gone ahead of you, you’re next and you raise, then, at this point, you have 9 players to act behind missing. Because you’ve uploaded to the player who went ahead of you, now he is behind … just for this round of betting. If you had not gone, only you would be 8 players from behind. Your own actions and the actions of others affect your position … then the position is variable within the same hand.
Moreover, not only care about your current position. It is also important to consider what your position on future betting rounds. Take for example the big blind position: This is the last to act before the flop (if nobody has raised) but is the worst position after the flop.
When you are first, the biggest concern is that if you bet, someone may raise your bet. If you have a very strong hand, that action will be welcome, but it’s still a situation that should not be taken lightly.
You might want to pass and your opponent will be more likely to go (And then you can make a reraise).
In a better position, you know what they have done the other players. If someone has raised, you can reassess your hand accordingly. But even then, there may be a raise behind you, and you should consider this possibility.
If you’re on the button and the other players have retired, you can upload, though you have a good hand, say 8? 7?, To try to steal the blinds. But you should retire with the same hand, from the same position, if any of the players has risen. And it may be proper to remain in the hand, if a player came up and saw another bet.
In the first case, the probability that players in the blinds are removed, is big enough to overlook the weakness of your hand. In the second case, you’re defeated and you would probably remain hand in hand, even if you positional advantage. But in the latter case, you may have good pot odds to justify paying the bet. The pot odds, combined with the position, can make it worth the risk.
The position is not as simple as saying “I’m in the blind” or “I’m third.” It is a matter of some complexity. It is so important your physical position on the table, as your position relative to the action taking place.
And so far, we’ve hardly talked about the cards in hand. This does not mean that the cards do not matter … matter much … but your position affects the value of these letters and affects it considerably.
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