PLAYING A POKER HAND
Check your poker position
One of the big influences on the way you play any hand, is your position at the poker table. This is something that is all too frequently overlooked by newcomers to the game and even to some extent by more experienced players. However, your position can determine how much money you win, or even whether or not you actually win the hand.
It’s important that you always stay aware of your position at the table. Because by doing so, you’ll be able to use position to your advantage, exercise good poker strategy and become a solid player. If not, then you will be leaving a big hole in your game.
Location, location, location
Your position in each hand is determined by the placement of the ‘button’, the ‘button’ being the dealer’s seat. All actions must take place one after another in an anticlockwise motion (from player to player), starting with the player to the immediate left of the dealer.
There are three groups of positions comprising: the ‘early position’ – a group of players who are the first few to act on each betting round. The ´late position’, the last few players to act on each round. Not forgetting of course, a group of players in between these two, known as the ‘middle position’.
The button is the best seat in the hand because that player will be acting last on every round of the hand, except only for pre-flop.
Late position advantage
The group of players who are in late position have an advantage over the other players at the table, because they will be the last to act on every betting round. In effect, this means that they’ll have the opportunity to see how their opponents proceed and play their hand, thereby giving them (‘late position’ players) the advantage in deciding how to play their own hand.
For instance, if a player in late position sees an opponent check before them, they can infer that their opponent has a weak hand, so may decide to bluff to try and take down the pot. However, if the positions had been switched around, the player now in early position will have a harder time trying to run a successful bluff, as they no longer have any information on the strength of their opponent’s hand. The upshot is that being out of position in any hand can cause many problems, and thwart any good Texas Holdem strategy you might posses. Know your poker hand rankings too right here!
Check or raise
So before you make any decisions about whether or not to enter a pot, make sure you consider your position at the table first. As if you’re one of the first to act, you’re already at a disadvantage as your opponents will have more information about your hand on each betting round. In addition, if you show weakness your opponents will have greater ability to bluff you off your hand. That’s where knowing how to bluff in poker comes in, though perhaps more crucially, knowing when to bluff is even more important.
Remember too, that if you do intend to play a hand from early position ensure it’s a premium hand – in order to give yourself the best chance of winning. Alternatively, try a different strategy by loosening up your starting hand requirements in the later positions thereby giving you the advantage of acting last on each round. Good luck and why not play poker here!
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