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Poker Strategy: Position

Posted on October 16, 2007

Position in poker, especially Texas Hold�em, is a major consideration in any betting format of the game, be it split limit, pot limit or no limit. Hands that are automatically thrown away in early position, become candidates for participation if they are held either on the button � last to act - or one spot to the right...

It is not good strategy, for example, to play hands such as 7-7, A-9 or 6-6 in an early spot because of the possibility of a significant raise from a player in a later position.

To call raises with these types of hands is long-term financial suicide. But holding such hands on the button when the rest of the field has passed � can turn them into raising propositions.

This is not going to be news to many TexasHoldem players, who have studied the books and done their homework. What may be news though is that position can also be a very important consideration in seven-card-stud, particularly when it comes to the split-limit format that is played internet card rooms and on mainland Europe.

In split-limit stud, the player holding the lowest card showing has to make a forced bet. This is usually three times the running ante and about 20 or 30 percent of the lower limit.

So, in a $10-$20 game, the ante posted by all the players would be $1 and the �bring-in� (forced bet) would be $3. The subsequent players have the option of completing the bet � a form of raise - to the $10 level.

Now here is where position enters the equation. Ideally, a player would like the lowest card � the �bring-in� to be immediately to the left. If now all the other players pass, it gives the person last to act the opportunity to steal both the antes and the forced bet by completing. It helps to have a high card showing and maybe another one hidden.

The pot is small - only $11 at the limits above - but every little helps

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