Texas Holdem Poker

Once you’ve learned the basics of no limit Texas Holdem its imperative that you learn how to play your position to become a winner. Whether you play in cash games or in tournaments, in live games or online playing position will help you win on a consistent basis.  Playing a position game is not a perfect science, but the knowledge will no doubt improve your game.

Playing Out of The Blinds

Playing form the blind positions can be the most difficult place to play at the table. Pre-flop you do get to act last and with a discount which will allow you to get into pots with weaker starting hands in no Limit Poker.  The story is completely different post flop when you will be forced to act first on all streets. Feel free to get into pots with weaker hands in these positions, but you need to be aware that you will have to act first after the flop. It’s hard to give you a range of starting hands to play in the blinds because the odds will be in your favor a lot of the times. For example if you are in the small blind playing one / two dollar no limit and four people limp in, there will be eleven dollars in the pot when it is your turn to act, therefore you have to call one dollar into an eleven dollar pot (11 – 1) and those odds are almost impossible to turn down no matter your cards. If you have a monster starting hand pre-flop in a blind position and feel you have to raise, make sure you raise enough to thin the field significantly. Once again with four limpers, eleven dollars in the pot and you wake up with a suited ace king you should raise enough to take the pot down or play a heads up pot (eg: depending on the game 5 -6 times the big blind). You do not want to play a big multi way pot when you have to act first, especially when you don’t have the nuts.

Playing in Early Position

Early position is the two to three seats after the blinds. Playing in early position means you will have to act first or early throughout the entire hand. It’s wise to limit your starting hands in these spots, to ensure that you do not get stuck in pots that you don’t belong in. Play big hands like pocket pairs or big suited aces. The big question when playing in early position is to raise or to just call (limp), and there is no perfect answer. A lot of the times you can judge what to do by the way the rest of the table is playing. If you limp at ultra aggressive or inexperienced tables you may be able to wait for someone else to raise for you in later position and either re-raise them or play a big pot while hiding your hand strength. On the flip side while playing at more experienced or solid tables limping in early position can set off alarms bells for your opponents and force them to either fold or limp in themselves. You can use this to your advantage, you may be able to get into the pots with weaker starters, but I do suggest raising it will make you money in the long run.

Playing in Middle Position

You can take it easy sitting in middle position, watch the table and find out how your opponents are playing. See what happens in early position and make a decision accordingly. Feel free to open up the range of hands that you are playing, but don’t get carried away and do something dumb. Play hands that you like suited connectors, pocket pairs and suited aces. You will not feel like you need to get in the action playing in middle position, and sometimes is more wise to continue playing as you were in early position.

Playing in Late Position

When playing in late position you are “In the drivers seat”, you have the option to act last on all streets. Playing from the button (dealer ) is the place at the table where you can be the most creative. Sit back watch the action unfold in front of you and then decide what the best way to play the pot is. Your starting cards don’t matter as much playing in late position, you already have the knowledge of what the rest the table thinks about there hands by the actions they have made. For example your playing from the button, everybody folds to you and you have a seven – queen off suit. In early position that is an easy fold, but when on the button you may be able to simply raise and take the blinds down. This is called stealing the blinds and while playing in the late stages of a tournament when the blinds are high stealing them could make the difference between winning and losing. Another thing to be aware of is if you consistently raise out of late position the other players will stop assuming you have a good hand and will start to open up there games, as they will be fed up with just giving you there blinds. Play all your hands the same so that you not giving off any betting patterns, for example in you have raised from the button all day three times the blind, then if you get pocket aces raise the blinds the same amount. By doing this your opponents may not respect the fact that you have a monster hand.

Playing your position at a poker table can be an easy way to improve your results. It is important to always try and figure out what your opponent thinks you have and move from there. Whether you are playing online or at a casino the knowledge of position will help you at the very least figure out what your opponents are doing. Good luck, and have fun at the tables.