There are 3 areas of position in poker: the early position, middle position and late position.
It is in relation to the button that goes around the table.
Most beginner players do not take their position into account much, which is not right.
This article will briefly explain the concept of table position, and how you can use your position to your advantage.
Advanced Poker Strategy Part 1: Early Position The players to the immediate left of the big blind are players in the early position.
Being in the early position means that the player is one of the first to act when the action starts.
Being in the early position is considered to be a disadvantage.
By being one of the first players to act, good opponents will usually have effective strategies to disrupt your play when they see what the early players do first.
Advanced Poker Strategy Part 2: Middle Position Players to the left of players in the early position are in the middle position.
Being in the middle position allows a player to watch the early position players first, but he still needs to consider the late position actions.
Advanced Poker Strategy Part 3: Late Position Players in the late position are the last players to act in the round.
Being in the late position allows a player to be in a situation where the hand has been checked around you, and have the opportunity to make a bluff at the pot and win it right there.
Thus being in a late position is considered to be an advantage.
Being in the late position also gives a player an opportunity to be in a steal situation.
If players ahead are checking while you are in a late position, it is a good sign that your opponents are not holding anything valuable, thus making bluffing safer.
A player in the early or middle position would not know their opponents' hand strength behind them, and randomly betting would be a very dangerous thing to do.
It also allows a player to do a semi-bluff.
This involves raising a player who bet out in the early or middle position, when he is drawing to a better hand.
By doing this, your opponent would possibly get intimidated and fold if he only had an average hand, and makes him put the brakes on his own action and check to you on the turn if he calls your raise.
Being in different positions affects your current hand value significantly.
Generally, being in an early position requires a player to play stronger hands, whereas being in a late position gives a player the option of playing drawing hands.