The concept of position is one of the most understated and misunderstood concepts in poker. Everyone throws around the phrase "I was in position", but so many players don’t really know what it means or how important it really is. Having "position" on a player means that you act last on each round of betting. The best position in the game is called "the button". The second best is the "cutoff". The button is the seat just before the blinds and the cutoff is the seat just before that.

So just what is it about acting last that gives you such an advantage? Simple: the ability to see what your opponent does BEFORE you decide what you are going to do. Its so hard to pull off a bluff when you are first to act. It forces you to guess what your opponent is going to do after you make your move. But if you have position on your opponent, you don’t have to guess, you get to see. For obvious reasons, it is MUCH easier to pull off a bluff if you can see your opponents’ actions before you decide what to do.

Now I know what you’re thinking: "Supermoves, you’re not telling me anything I don't already know." We all know that position is important in the back of our minds, but at the same time, I’ve seen countless players call an early position raise from middle position and then attempt to bluff their way out of the hand. Obviously, there are certain hands that you play no matter what position you are in (AA, KK, etc.) but stop calling with 44 from middle position, stop calling raises with KQ or JT from middle position.

That is really the crux of this article. Everyone knows that a raise from early position is only appropriate with a good hand and everyone also knows that the button and the cutoff are the best positions at the table. Well, if everyone knows these facts, then why do we continue to play marginal hands from middle position? Whether its because we have been card dead and now KQ looks like a monster or because we just "feel lucky" with that JT, either way its a mistake to play these hands in middle position with a player already in the pot...especially with a raise in front.

I’m sorry if this article seems a little "beginner", but I think every now and then, we can always use a little reminder of an important concept in poker that often gets overlooked. So remember, keep your opponents guessing, try to play the same hand in several different ways. Make sure that when you raise, your opponents know you could have 7-2 or AA. Either way, make sure you’re playing most of your hands from late position. Also, these articles are my opinion and they are meant to help players who have a basic understanding of the game, move up to the next level. So feel free to leave constructive criticism of my articles, it will not offend me, it will help to make future articles better.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps!