One of the more famous phrases of poker is ‘position is power’, and this is true in the game, Texas hold-em. In Texas hold’em, position is the player’s place in relation to the dealer’s button that plays a very important part in hold’em. This is because betting in hold’em runs in clockwise fashion.  

If you are seated in a favorable position, you have the chance of seeing the reactions of other players to their hands and whether they decide to fold, call or bet before you do. Different positions in hold’em have different names that associate the players’ position to the dealer’s button. Each one of these positions has their own strengths and weaknesses.  

The player who is seated to the left of the dealer is called the small blind and acts first after the flop. The person sitting to the left of the small blind is the big blind and is the one obligated to the game as he/she is in an early position after the flop. ‘Under the gun’ is the name given to the player seated to the left of the big blind. This position is considered to be the worst position as this player is the first to act preflop. This is because though they do not act first in any betting round, they have to invest a whole bet to get into play. 

The most advantageous position in hold’em is the dealer’s button position as this is the player to act last after the flop. This player is also called ‘the button’, ‘the dealer’ or ‘on the button’. The player on the right of the button is called ‘the cutoff’ and this position is great for blind-stealing at a full nine-handed or ten-handed table. This is the player who gets to cut off the dealer when they bet before he/she gets a chance to place a bet.  

The players in all these positions are grouped into early, middle and late position. The players acting first in a betting round, like the player under the gun, are in an early position. Obviously, the players acting last, like the cutoff and the button, are grouped as late position players. Generally, it is better to be in a late position as here; you can identify what hands are playable. In fact, it is said that the position of a player goes hand in hand with getting to know the players around you! If you are in a late position, you get to note the mannerisms and facial expressions of players and guess their fate in the game! 

The late position players with a good hand are a better position than those in an early position with a good hand. This is because early position raisers tend to scare players away while early preflop raises make opponents to call two bets at a go. The late position player has to call only one bet as there is already something in the pot. So these late position players are the players who can manipulate the pot size if required.  

So remember, in Texas hold’em, it is important to keep your position in mind as it helps you decide on what play to make. This makes you a better player, and perhaps save money that may have gotten lost with the wrong position and wrong bet!