Poker Table Position
The four poker players seated to the left of the dealer and including the two blinds are said to be in Early Position at the poker table . The three players seated to the left of these early position players are said to be in Middle Position. The last three players are said to be in Late Position.
The most obvious example of how poker table position does influence play is that a really good poker hand can be played from any position at the table whereas a poor hand should only be played from a late position at the table. An informed decision can be made on how to play following observations of the play of the other players seated round the table. In the same way, a player in an early position at the table must be much more selective as to which hands and he or she will bet on. Let's explore these ideas further.....
Early Position
Players seated in early position have an obvious and definite disadvantage owing to the fact that they have to bet first and therefore are not able to observe the actions of their opponents before making there own play. For this reason it is important to only play good start cards when seated in the early position. When you do this, it doesn't really matter if another player raises you because you have a very good chance of winning the hand anyway will stop
Middle Position
Players in middle position can generally play a few more hands than those in early position the reason being that they have the advantage of already having seen half their opponents actions after the flop. By this logic they are clearly not in as good position as players in late position not just the same they don't have the disadvantages of players seated in the early position.
Late Position
The last three players who are in late position have the most advantages. They have seen the actions of the other players and therefore have much information to work with and with which they can make informed decisions. As well as seeing the actions of the other poker players, those in late position also know how many players they are playing against - information denied to those seated in the other positions. Accordingly, late position players can take more chances with less good hands.
