Basics of Table Position
Before you can start consistently winning at online poker, it is crucial to understand the concept of table position and its effect on your strategy and starting hand selection.
As with a most things in life, the more information you have, the better decisions you can make. When you are the first to act in a poker hand, you are at a disadvantage, because you have no idea what the players after you are going to do. On the other hand, acting last is a huge advantage, as you already have an idea of how all of the other players at the table feel about their cards based on their actions.
Below we will take a look at the different positions at a poker table and how those positions affect the decisions that you make.
Early Position (EP) – Small Blind (SB), Big Blind (BB), Under-the-Gun (UTG)
In both full 9-handed poker and 6-max poker tables, the small blind, big blind, and under the gun (UTG) are all considered to be in early position. UTG is the first to act pre-flop, while the SB is the first to act on all subsequent streets. When you are in early position, you should play tight, conservative poker. Don't limp in with anything, and avoid playing marginal hands such as middle suited connecters or low pocket pairs.
When you do have a good hand to play, raise solidly, at the bare minimum 3.5x the big blind. However, in EP it is better to raise higher than you would normally, and a raise of 5x the big blind is not a bad move. In the event that you get one or more callers and fail to make a big hand on the flop, there is not much point in making a continuation bet as you will continue to get calls and raises from the late positions. Unless you've connected on a great hand, it's usually a good idea to lay down your cards well before the hand reaches showdown.
Middle Position (MP)
The mid-position seats are the 4th, 5th, and 6th positions at a full table, and UTG (post-flop) and the 4th position at a 6-max table. Here you should play solid, normal poker. You have a few more options regarding starting hand selection, but you should be a bit more conservative and cautious than if you were in late position.
When in MP, it is important to know what kinds of players are behind you. If the players in late position tend to aggressively call, raise, and 3-bet pre-flop, you want to be far more conservative when betting, as you don't want to get caught playing a marginal hand out of position and be forced into unprofitable decisions.
When raising pre-flop from MP, the standard amount should be 3x the big blind. It is a good amount to lure players into the hand when you have strong cards, while still scaring off chasers who may gain a positional advantage over you on later streets.
Late Position (LP) – The Button and The Cut-Off
When you are on the button, or in the seat immediately before it, called the cut-off, that is when you will make the majority of your money playing poker. Note that the position before the cut-off on a full table can also be a good position if the button and CO fold pre-flop. By the time the action gets to you, much of the table has already folded, and you already have an idea of what the remaining players may hold in their hands based on their calls and raises.
A raise from LP is a show of strength and confidence in your hand. Even if you fail to hit a big hand on the flop, you still have control of the hand, as everyone else has to reveal their intentions first. However, always remember that just because you have position doesn't mean you will always win the hand. Learning to fold away strong hands is also an important skill.
When in LP, raises should be about 2.5x to 3x the size of the big blind. Remember that pre-flop, the blinds still have the opportunity to play after you, and you should be aware of the frequency in which they 3-bet. If they 3-bet often you want to make sure you are protected when you have mid-level hands. The purpose of the 2.5x raise is to either induce the blinds to fold frequently and lose their blinds, or to have them respond with a 3-bet of their own, putting them woefully out of position on later streets if you choose to call. Also, if they adjust their play by constantly 3-betting your raise, you can feel free to lay down more hands and wait to catch them when you have a very strong hand.
Alterations in Strategy
Once you have a good idea of the basics of table position and the difference in strategy for every position, you must remember that your opponents are watching every hand you play and will start to make adjustments. If you are being quite aggressive from late position, your opponents may tighten up, leaving you few ways to get them into the pot. Likewise, if you are too tight from early position, other players will notice this and do everything they can to get you to constantly fold. Every now and then it's a good idea to do something that you wouldn't normally do (within reason, of course) to keep them guessing and prevent yourself from being exploited.
