Poker Positions Explained: How to Play in Each Position

If poker were easy, we’d all be wealthy players fresh from another successful run at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. But Texas Hold’em is not simple. So many variables are at play that two hands are rarely the same.

You must consider which type of player your opponent is (aggressive, loose, inexperienced), your stack size, the range of starting hands you’re willing to play with, your bet sizing, and, in tournament play, the blinds and payout structure.

But one thing that cuts across all these things is your position at the table. Poker positions should define how you approach a hand above almost anything else because the later you act around the table, the more information you’ll have.

We define poker positions as being one of four areas:

• Early position
• Mid position
• Late position
• The blinds (small and big)

Each has a clear, basic strategy that will serve you well so long as you have the discipline to follow it.

What is your position at the poker table?

The dealer button defines how each clockwise round of poker plays out. To the left of the dealer is the small blind, then the big blind, followed by all other players until the one sitting with the button is reached.

In a nine-handed game, two players are in the blinds (small and big), three are in early position, two in mid position and two in late position. But how should these poker positions change your strategy?

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Early-position poker

If you’re in an early poker position, you must tighten up and play more conservatively. Ideally, you would play premium hands only, such as high pairs or strong-suited connectors like A-K of hearts or even K-Q of clubs.

This is because you have no idea how most of the players yet to act will react to your bet. Let’s say you had 5-6 of hearts in early position and put in an opening bet. What to do if a player behind you puts in a significant raise?

You’ll be acting out of position for the remainder of the hand, which could be an expensive mistake.

Yes, you must speculate to accumulate in poker, but try to do this when you hold a positional advantage.

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Mid-position poker

Here you can widen your range a little, opening with hands like medium pairs such as two 7s, since fewer players are left to act behind you.

You also have the advantage that if a player in an early position opens the betting first, you can assess your cards and fold without risking a cent.

With your wider range, if two or three players have limped into the pot before you, you’ll likely have the pot odds to limp in, too, and hope to flop a decent hand.

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Late-position poker

The dealer, or the button, is in the best position — the last to act on betting rounds after the flop, turn, and river community cards are dealt. Here, you get to see what every other player does before you must decide what to do.

You can widen your starting range and bet aggressively, bluffing more in this spot, knowing that even if you get called, you can add more pressure in the next round of betting (or fold if another player makes a statement bet).

The cutoff is the player to the right of the button, another powerful late poker position.

Before the flop, if it’s folded around to you in a late position, you’re in an ideal spot to "steal the blinds" by raising with a wide range of hole cards. This assumes that the blinds will both fold in most cases.

As always, however, take note of your opponents. Some players will defend their blinds more aggressively than others.

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The blinds

While the small and big blinds are last to act on the opening betting round before the flop, they become the first to act after the flop.

So, if you’re tempted to join the action preflop, be sure you’re confident about defending your hand when you’re first or second to act in subsequent rounds. Defending your blinds preflop is all well and good, but it will eat into your stack if you do it too often. So, pick your spots wisely.

Watch the action carefully

Always take good notes of how your opponents play in every position of the table. You can pick up on their playing habits and bet sizing to help you assess how to play them. Better players take advantage of positional play well, so watch how they do it.

Play poker games online

There’s a lot to learn about poker, but playing it is the best way to master it. 

Whether you want to play against other players in games like Texas Hold’em or Omaha or prefer casino poker games like three-card Poker or video poker, look at some of the casino sites YouBet.com recommends.