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Poker Table Position and Starting Hands
To play winning Poker you must be able to comprehend the value of table position and its effect on the hands that you hold. A lot of players hear about position but know very little about it. However it is vital that you understand early on why it is so crucial.
When you play Poker be sure that in your reading of the opponents you pay close attention to where they are seated. By adding what you know of a player's playing style with where he or she is spotted on the table, you will know what kind of hands will be played.
If you are on the dealer button, this will help make your decision making a lot easier, because you will know exactly how many players are remaining, who folded and who have called. How does this help you play your Poker starting hands? Because if most of the players fold, the odds of that JT becoming more playable will increase.
Additionally, being on the button opens the way for you to bluff, and raise with your hand. However, because players try this a lot, you should realize that you might get called on more than a few occasions.
The reverse is true when you are under the gun, because it in this case, you do not know what anyone else has. However, being in this position at the Poker table will allow you to make bluffing moves or check raises, albeit with the latter it should be with a very strong hand, good enough to take the pot or pay to see the flop.
If you are in middle position, you will want to raise hands to steal pots. This is a Poker strategy that you can opt to use when the players after you are particularly tight. The hands that you will play here will depend on the situation on the table, but usually it can involve KQ, AQ or, if the table is loose some Ax hands.
Table position is one of those areas in Poker that you simply cannot ignore. It is one of the most fundamental ingredients to becoming a winning player. It is true that during the course of the game your position will change, from being last to act to being the first.
For this reason you should learn as much about your opponents and how position affects starting hands, so that regardless of your Poker table position you will be competitive.
