Position in Texas Holdem poker

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True value of a poker hand

Poker position as a poker hand value component

The importance of position in Texas Holdem poker

Poker position as a criterion for a poker starting hand

Poker strategic advantages in late position

A position relative to a raiser

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True value of a poker hand

True value of a poker hand obviously depends on the relative strengths of the two initially cards dealt to a poker player before the flop. Two aces of course is the most powerful hand in the beginning of the poker round. However, a lot weaker poker hand like KJ offsuit can also have a great value if the rest of the players hold lesser cards. It may also have a very little value if the opponents hold KQ or AK making KJ a dominated hand. The strength of the cards and the initial value of a poker hand with the exception of AA are always relative. That value is also dynamic – 3 community cards on the flop and one additional card on the turn and river might change the relative value of a poker hand few times within the same poker round.

Poker position as a poker hand value component

A total value of a poker hand has the second component besides the relative strength of the dealt cards. That component is a position of a player at the poker table. Thus, true poker hand value is not only determined by what cards a poker player hold but also where at the table he has those cards.

Poker position as a criterion for a poker starting hand

Some cards can be played in any position. Poker hands like AA, KK, QQ and big suited aces AK, AQ, AJ are the good examples of the premium poker hands that in the absence of the very heavy action don’t need (big pairs like AA and KK are indifferent to action) to take into a consideration their location table position-wise. Unfortunately these poker hands are dealt rarely. Most of the time a poker player gets unplayable garbage or the speculative hands that may or may not be played depending on a poker player’s position at the table.  For ex. 10,8 suited is not advisable for play from early position but can be played from late position if the pot is multiway and has not been previously raised. A poker starting hand like Q9 suited is too weak for an early position but is good enough for a play in unraised pot from a middle position with at least 3 other players involved. Poker hands like K8 suited and 65 suited are too weak for the early and middle positions but, if the pot is not raised and there are at least 6 players involved, they are justified to see the flop from a late position. If a poker player bets from early position with a marginal hand he runs a risk to confront a raise that may follow. Such situation will cause a player a long term loss. At the same time a poker player in late position can play the same marginal hand after he sees that the pot has not been raised. Late position allows a poker player to play a wider assortment of starting hands. Since the majority of the poker player’s starting hands are marginal hands, then most of the time the position affects the choice of the poker player when to become involved in the pot. The role of position is so crucial it becomes a decisive factor for a poker player that determines which hands to hold and which to fold before the flop. The playing hand in a particular poker round is often not selected by a poker player – instead, it becomes an automatic position-based choice, which is imperative and indifferent toward poker player’s desires and emotions.

Poker strategic advantages in late position

Late positions at the table include the button and the seat next to button, which is called a cutoff seat. A poker player sitting in late position enjoys multiple benefits unavailable for the rest of the table. All those benefits com from the fact that a poker player in late position acts last after all other players have already acted. In result he has a wealth of information about probable strength of other players’ hands. He may adjust his betting accordingly. The rest of the players don’t have the same luxury and have to guess about the future actions of the players the follow them. That lack of certainty regarding opponents’ probable actions limits their poker play turning many of them into passive participants without initiative and aggression necessary for success in poker.

Thanks to the unique benefit of the best possible information a poker player in late position acquires many strategic advantages over the rest of the field. He may bluff from his position when everybody else has shown weakness by checking. If there are only few players only on the flop and the board is ragged without visible draws his bluff bet may win the pot. He may also semi-bluff with the strong flush or straight draw against many players in hope of getting a free card on the turn and completing his draw on the river. He may choose to raise the pot with the draw for the previous reasons to get more money in case if he’ll make his draw on the river etc… These types of strategic moves are not available to a poker player from an earlier position.

A position relative to a raiser

A poker player must always be aware of his position in relation to the rest of the players. He also hast to pay attention to what is his position relative to the pre-flop raiser. The reason is that a raiser’s action on the flop can be anticipated most of the time. If nobody bets on the flop before him he will most likely bet regardless of the cards he’s holding. If he is on your immediate right and you call his bet, a check-raise may come from an early position player and you’ll be caught for a double bet along with the initial raiser.

 Copyright Progress Publishing Co.

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