ABC of Poker: Position Essentials & Glossary

Poker is a game of incomplete information and that is why you need to watch out for anything that can help you fill in some of the gaps. In terms of information, the first of your assets and vulnerabilities is your position at the table. Essentially, the later you are to act, the more information you will have gained about your opponents. 

Position is a strength and a weakness that cannot be disguised with hoodies, scarves and sunglasses. It is possibly the advantage pros value the most and the key factor that beginners tend to underestimate or completely ignore.

But first things first:

How are the position seats called at a nine-handed table and who acts first before the flop?

The Button is the best position, acting last on the fllop, turn, and river; UTG  has the red light for anything but 'monster' starting hands, and the Small Blind is a very tricky position being first to act on all three streets after the flop.

Glossary

UTG = 'Under the Gun' (immediately to the left of the blinds, first to act pre-flop)

MP = middle position

HJ = 'Hijack' (as the name suggests, this is considered the best position to 'steal the blinds')

CO = 'Cut-off' (in home games, this is the player who cuts the deck for the dealer)

BTN = 'The button' (the rotating dealer position; refers to the player acting as the dealer in each hand)

Pre-flop

In the first betting round, before the three community hands are dealt, the betting will always start with the player immediately to the left of the Big Blind and proceed clockwise: UTG, UTG+1, MP1, MP2, HJ, CO, BTN, SB, BB. 

The dealer button is then passed along to the left in the next hand (even when you have someone physically dealing the cards every time :); the first card is always dealt to the Small Blind. 

At a six-handed table, the positions are: SB, BB, UTG, MP, CO, BTN.

What happens in a tournament when play gets down to heads-up?

Merci @Cedric Michel and @Campok for the screenshot :)

The Dealer Button posts the small blind and is dealt the first card. The Button is the first to act pre-flop. In the next three betting rounds - flop, turn, and river - the player on the button regains his advantage and acts last.

After the flop

A nine-handed table has 'early position' (the blinds and UTG), 'middle position' (seats 4,5, and 6), and 'late position' (Hijack, Cut-off and Button) seats.  

This division refers to the acting order after the flop: SB, BB, UTG, UTG+1, MP1, MP2, HJ, CO, BTN. 

'In position" and 'out of position'

The later your position, the more you know about your opponents.

The fewer players are left to act after you, the better your chances of controlling the pot and the action.

Playing 'in position' means you are acting after your opponents on the flop, turn, and river, and you have an information edge.

Being 'out of position' means you have to act before your opponents on the flop, turn, and river, and puts you at a disadvantage since you don't have pot control and you are the one giving away information. In other words, 'being out of position' most of the time means you shouldn't be playing :)

The number of players in the game has important strategy implications. As it decreases, you will broaden your range to include more starting hands. More about that in future #RKHabc posts!

Your ABC rule of thumb

Play tighter (with premium or 'monster' hands) in early position and widen your range (play more starting hands) in late position. When out of position, you will usually be right to fold if someone in position raises.

Next on #RKHabc: a player who has given us one of the most famous illustrations of the power of 'position poker'! 

#RKHpokerstrategy