Positions in poker are a player’s relationship to the other players at the table in terms of the betting for a particular hand.  The most important thing in Texas Hold’em is for a player to see how other players act before making their decision and to help give them the upper hand.

In Hold’em if you are sitting to the left of the dealer you are in the small blind position, the seat on the left hand of the small blind is the big blind.  Three seats away from the dealer or to the left of the big blind is the player under-the-gun. Cut-off position is to the right of the dealer. These are the only seats at the table that have specific names.

Depending where a player is situated in a round, early or late, determines on how they will act – fold, call or raise. Early position players include the small blind, the big blind and the under-the-gun player. Later position players include the dealer, the cut-off position player and occasionally, the player two places to the dealer’s right. The rest are middle position players, but if there are only six in a table, then there are only early or late positions at the table.

Implications of Poker Table Positions

The most advantageous position in poker is a late one.  Late position allows a player to study the moves of the players before them, from watching their moves the player can gauge how good their cards are before making their decision. Earlier and mid-position players may have folded by the time the betting round arrives, therefore leaving players at the table and giving the late position a greater chance of winning.

In the initial betting round the small blind and the big blind are out of position and this means they cannot react to other players’ moves but they do have an advantage. These positions have already paid into the pot, therefore they will pay less than the other players to see the flop unless a player in a middle or late position raises pre-flop.

Early positions should play their hands cautiously and only bet aggressively with a strong hand; otherwise they should play it slow.

Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game played both online and offline. It’s format and strategy are easy to learn and very popular with new players and professional players alike. Other games such as Omaha and Stud require a deeper understanding of odds calculation and card counting which can be a little daunting to the novice player.

Here are the basic rules of Texas Hold’em to help you get started at the table. Practice is key and it’s recommended to start online with low stakes until you feel comfortable with your knowledge of the game.

1. To begin the game the dealer shuffles a standard deck of 52 cards (jokers are not included in this poker game). The dealer will never play a hand so a button is placed in front of the player who will be the dealer if there is not a designated dealer. This does not apply online as there is always a dealer where as offline, especially in home games or game outside of the casino or poker room, each player will take a turn to deal. When there is a dealer, the button still moves around the table, this indicates which players have to pay the big and small blinds.

2. The two players to the left of the dealer have to pay the blinds to start every hand. The player to the immediate left pays the small blind and the next player pays the big blind. These players have to bet a predetermined amount into the pot to ensure there is money there for one of the players to win. The small blind is equal to half the minimum bet and the big blind is the full amount.

3. When the blinds have been paid, the dealer starts dealing the cards one at a time to each player. Each player receives two cards that are placed face down. These are known as hole cards. The players will then look at their cards making their choice of move, whether to bet on the cards they have or to fold.

4. When the players have looked at their cards. The betting begins. The player sitting next to the big blind begins the betting, it then continues clockwise around the table. Players will then make their next move based on how they think their cards will fair. They will fold, bet, call or raise.

5. When this round is over the dealer discards the deck’s top card. This precludes any unfair betting by a player who could have seen this card and facilitating their chances of winning. The dealer the place three cards are face down. This is called the flop, community cards that all the players in the hand can use to combine with the cards they hold to make winning hands.

6. The next round of betting commences with the player to the left of the dealer. Again player decides whether to fold, call, raise or check and the same pattern follows through the remaining hands.

7. The fourth card turned by the dealer is called the turn. Again the players bet.

8. The last card turned by the dealer is called the River.  This is the deciding card, which determines which player has the best hand and wins the game.

Here are a few tips on how to become a better poker bluffer.

Poker Bluffing Tips

Making your opponent believe you have a stronger hand than them is the art of the master poker player, even when you have a weak hand. It’s also possible to make them assume you have a weaker hand. Bluffing allows you to manipulate your opponents tricking them into believing what you want about the strength or weakness of your hand. Skill and preparation are keys to making a bluff in poker.

Two ways to set up a bluff at poker:

Consistent and predictable play.

Keeping consistent in your playing strategy can lull your opponents into a false sense of security in preparation for your bluff later on in the game. In the first few hands you need to ensure you play is predictable to your opponents. Begin your game by playing textbook poker. Play it safe and fold when you have a weak hand. Play a drawing hand by calling it but play slowly. When you have a hand that’s a no-brainer play aggressively. Your opponents will get to know your playing technique ready for you to knock them out with your bluff.

Predictable play can also get you a reputation for being a tight player or a loose player at the table.

Unpredictable play.

Unpredictable player is the other end of the poker-playing spectrum. Guarding your reactions and gestures means your opponents will not know whether you have a good or bad hand. This type of play ensures they will never know that status of you hand or whether you are bluffing.