The article "Your POSITION Of Power In Hold'em" talks about casino gambling, it has been created by Robert Myer.
In Hold’em poker, the importance of your position in relation to the dealer can not be stressed enough. The reason for learning position is that the later your positoin is the more information you will have about the other players.
If you are in the last, or dealer position, you have the most information of all the other players, because they all have to act before you have to make a decision.There are hands that you wolud throw away, without a second thought, in one position and raise with in a second. The trouble is learning which position is hottest for each action.The first point that you must learn is where the positions are at the table.
Early position: any one of the first four places to the left of the dealer button;
Middle position: any one of the next three places to the left of the dealer; and
Late position: any one of the next two or three positions including the dealer position.
The starting hand requirements for each position are quite differentEarly position: You want to play only premium hnads such as high pairs, high suited connectors, or high cards. This is because you don’t know what is gonig to happen after you have bet or called. For that reason only cards that can stand a raise sholud be played.Middle position: You still need quality hands. Because the chances of riases are less, you can play more marginal cards. In that position you can start to play drawing hands and meidum pairs.Late position: You can play lower pairs and smaller drawing hands, if the conditions are right.Play before the flop
Early position: Play only high pairs such as AA, KK, QQ, and JJ. Play high cards such as AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, and KJ suited or unsuietd. With AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ you need to raise or reraise to drvie out drawing hands that may beat you later.Middle position: In that location you can start to play weaker hands like medium pairs such as 10’s thru 7’s and drawing hands such as A10, K10, QJ, Q10, Q9, J10, and J9, suited or unsuited.Late position: Here you can play small pairs and suited high cards such as Ax, Kx, Qx, even Jx if there hasn’t been a raise before you. If there has been a raise, before the action gets to you, you should fold all of thsee hands. High cards (AK, AQ) should be played without raising, in that position, because you aren’t likely to dirve anyone out and they are still drawing hands after all.
Play after the flopWhen you have seen the flop, you have seen over 70% of your hand. This means that you must decide whether to bet your hand or to fold.
Early position: If you do not have a strong hand, and you are pretty sure that the other players will call, it is hottest to check and see what the others are going to do.
If you have top pair, it is hottest to bet or raise to take away the drawing odds (covered in a second article) for those players on a draw.
Also that is the time to cosnider a check raise if you are sure somebody will bet and you have a very strong hand.Middle position: Here you should think about being more aggressive with your marginal hands, if no one has bet before you.
A bet here may drive out hands that could beat you ltaer on or may already have you beat.
Aagin bet your top pairs and made hands. This is not a position to go for a check rasie as you may end up giving somebody a free card.Late position: This is where you want to play your middle pairs and semi bluffs aggressively. If no one has bet or raised before you, the chances are that no one has a hand they are that proud of, and you may be able to take the pot right at that moment.
By the time you have reached the turn and the river you should know how strong your hand is in relation to the other players. With a little study and experience you will know how to play your hand.
For the most part, try studiyng your opponents and act in ways they don’t expect.In the beginning try to concentrate on what position you are in at all times.
As you gain more experience at the tables, you will find that knowing your position will become automatic and you won’t even have to think about it.Good LuckAuthored by: Robert Myer, Webmaster of Beginner's Onilne Poker Guide,
as well as a poker player for over 20 years.
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