The Importance of Table Position in Poker

If you’ve watched a lot of no-limit hold’em on Twitch or TV, you know that most hands are played heads-up following the flop.

When one player makes a raise and another call, the pot is down to just those two players. The same holds true if you regularly watch the largest poker tournaments and weekend majors at trusted online casino Singapore sites while railing online poker games with superior poker players.

Poker Position Explained

It goes without saying that in a heads-up situation, one player will be “in position” and have the right to act last on all streets after the flop, while the other player will be “out of position” and be forced to act first.

It would be easy to believe that players spend equally as much time playing from out of position and in position, but this would be a mistake if you weren’t paying attention. The truth is that the vast majority of hands played by skilled players are done so when in position.

This is due to the fact that skilled poker players, when faced with playing from out of position, are more likely to fold their opening hands than when in a more advantageous position.

What are the different table positions in poker?

There are three types of seats at a no-limit Texas hold ’em table: early, middle, and late positions. Each position in a poker game is determined by the relative positioning of the button and the blinds.

Early Position

The players in the early position (EP) are the ones who must post the blinds before the flop. This includes the small blind (SB) and the big blind (BB), as well as the player to the large blind’s left. Under the gun (often abbreviated “UTG”) describes this predicament. When there are nine or ten players at a table, the UTG+1 seat may also be called an early position because most of the players are in later positions.

Keep in mind that the SB and BB are considered early position seats because they will act first in every betting round following the flop, despite acting last preflop behind the UTG player along with everybody else around to the button.

Middle Position

The MP seats are those in the middle of the table, immediately following the SB seats and directly before the button.

Late Position

Seats in the late position (LP) include the latest seat (the button), the spot to the right of the button (the cutoff), and the spot to the right of the cutoff (the hijack seat). Of course, in games with fewer players (6-max, for example), the middle position is where the hijack belongs.

Table positions allow for more bluffing opportunities

Being in a better position than your opponent can frequently make up for a bad hand. Getting to act last gives you a significant advantage at poker, even if you have a weak hand in terms of actual power.

If you’ve been following the greatest poker advice, your out-of-position opponent will check more often, giving you more opportunities to bluff.

Table positions give you more free cards

There are occasions when you don’t want to pay the fee to advance to the next post-flop street when playing drawing hands. If the other player checks to you whilst you are on a draw and they check behind to see the next communal card, you can take a “free card” if you have a position on them.

Table positions give you hints of your opponent’s next move

The main benefit of being in a position in poker is being able to anticipate your opponent’s action on a post-flop street and adjust your own strategy accordingly.

You now have the knowledge that, while your opponent may be intentionally misleading you, a check typically suggests that they are not overly enthusiastic about the board, while a bet signals interest. When making street decisions from a position, many top players heavily consider their opponent’s action.

Final thoughts

Position is extremely important in poker, as evidenced by the fact that the button rotates after each hand to provide each player with a fair shot at each seat. You can apply all of these newfound tips when you play at the most trusted online casino Singapore.