Table Position in Poker
April 21, 2009
One of the most common mistakes a new poker player can make is not learn about poker table position and how it relates to just about everything you do at the poker table. Many pros will be the first to tell you that it is extremely important and one of the first things that should be mentioned when explaining a hand. It is that important and very crucial to the expanding game of a young player. So what is table position? Simply put, table position is where you may be sitting in relation to the dealer button. As the dealer button moves, your position changes and so different situations and opportunities are created. How does this affect you ?
Poker is a long term game of information. Obviously you can not see another players cards so you have to soak up information such as betting patterns, starting hand ranges, and other tells, like a sponge. And table position will affect you directly because all of this strategy adjusts as the dealer button moves clockwise around the table. To put this into perspective, one minute you can be sitting at the worst seat at the table, the small blind, and the next very hand you are in the best seat possible, the dealer button. And the dealer button is the best seat at the table because you will be the last person to act in every betting round allowing you to see all the action, or information, before you have to act.
Since some light has been shed on what position is and why it is important, you now need to know where you are sitting. “Halfway around the table” is not good enough. So how will you know where you are sitting? Very easy. Just imagine that the table is split into 3 sections with 3 players in each (Or 2 for a 6 handed table). Starting with the small blind you would count over 3 seats from the dealer button. This is known as Early Position or “EP.” Starting with the fourth seat from the dealer button and ending with the sixth seat is known as Middle Position or “MP.” And last, seats 7-9 are known as Late Position, otherwise known as “LP.” For the purpose of this article, we will refer to everything as position and seat number from the dealer button. For example, if you are on the button you would be LP+9 (late position and 9 seats from the dealer button) or if you were in the Small Blind you would be in EP+1. To better explain this, please take a look at our picture below.
Table Postion in Poker (screenshot of Aced Poker)
As you can see from the picture above, poker table position is a very clear cut idea and hopefully this sheds some light on how important it is. Another important factor in table position is the starting hands you play.
Poker Starting Hands
Why should you be concerned with starting hands in relation to table position ? As mentioned above, poker is a game of information. The more you have the better. How much experience do you hope to gain sitting in EP? Not a lot, right? For example, lets say you are in EP+3 and decided to play your favorite hand, the 10-J of spades and limp in for the minimum. Everyone folds down to the Big Blind who puts in a raise of 3 times the Big Blind. He has told you with a simple bet that he thinks he has a better hand. You look down at your favorite hand and realize that he is probably right and folds. Although it may not have been a lot, you still lost chips and accomplished nothing. Now if you were on the button on this hand, the roles could have been reversed and the 10-J of spades could have been playable.
Provided below is a starting hand guide. Now please be aware that this is only a guide and these hands may change due to your specific playing style.
EP+1-EP+2
AA-JJ, AK, AQ suited
MP+4-MP+6
AA-88, AK-A9 suited
LP+7-LP+9
AA-22, AK-A9 suited or off suit, Suited Connectors
It is also important to keep in mind that these hands are based off the fact that you are first to enter the pot. If you were not the first to enter you would have to consider the Gap Concept which basically states that you must have a better hand to call a raise with then if you were to make the first raise yourself.
Knowing the basics of poker table position and a few starting hands is really the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn such as betting, slow playing, and using the positions you are sitting in to your advantage. All of these are affected in some way by poker table position and this is the reason why beginners should spend time learning what it is and how it relates to the game.
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