The moment you start playing at a texas hold’em table, the first term you will hear tossed around here and there is “position.” For example, you might hear some players grumble, “I hate getting this hand in early position!” Position in poker is where a player sits in reference to other players. So, when you hear someone say, “I’ve got position on you,” it means that this player sits on your left and will always act after you’ve played. Position in poker describes where a player sits in relation to the dealer’s button. It also determines who acts first or last in a round of betting.

Dealer Position

Bear in mind that your position in poker is always relative to the dealer for that hand’s position. To give all players equal time in all positions so that it’s fair for everyone, the dealer button rotates around the table. Where position in poker is concerned, being in the dealer position, also referred to as being “on the button,” is the best position at the poker table, particularly in games like Texas Hold’em. Why? After the flop, the player on the button is always the last to act in every round of betting. Because of this positional advantage, it’s possible to maximize wins and minimize losses even when playing with more marginal hands, as you’ll know more information about your opponent’s hands.

Early Position

Players occupying the first two seats after the blinds (small/big blind) are said to be in early position seats at the table. This position in poker is considered the worst. Players who find themselves in this position in poker have to act without knowing how any of their opponents will play their hands. In early position, you should play only the best of the best possible starting hands. A range of (AA-TT, AK-AJ) would be a good starting point for full ring games.

Middle Position

You’re said to be in middle position if you occupy the two seats that come after the early position seats. In this position at the poker table, it plays very similarly to early position. You still have to worry about how the late position players and blinds play their hands.

Late Position

If you’re in the last three seats (including the button) you are said to be in late position at the poker table. Late position in poker is the best position to find yourself in. Here, you can gather as much information as you need to better figure out where you’re at in the hand. This is because before you have to act, all the other players have already made their play. Furthermore, if a round passes and no player has bet, players in late position can steal pots by taking advantage of positional bets when no one else seems interested in the pot.

In poker, just as in war, your position can work for or against you. However, position in poker is only one of the factors that go into developing a winning strategy. There are many other factors that go into the making of a good play and a great player.