Beginning Strategy for No Limit Hold'em – Handling Position

• 27.06.2025 12:55 pm
• headhunter
• 0 Comments

If you are new when it comes to no limit hold'em, this means that you are not aware of just how important position is.  Position refers to where in the hand you act. Play in hold'em begins when the player to the left of the dealer "the button" puts in the small blind which is half a bet. The player to the left of the button puts in a full bet which is also referred to as a big blind. This is to say that these two blinds have already acted, so the third player to the left of the button has to act before the flop, however, the two blinds can choose whether they want to fold, raise or call when it is their turn again. In the subsequent games, the first person to the left of the dealer is the first to act and the action proceeds clockwise on the table.

When you fall under the first players to act, this is termed as being in early position. Incase you are on either sides of the button, you are termed as being late in position. The players who are said to be in early position are the ones that act first through the entire hand. This is to say that, they act without the information benefit that the late position players have; which is the number of people still in the hand and the strength they represent.

The earlier you act in the hand, the more stringent you should be with the requirements of your starting hand. Raising when others are acting after you, you are said to be "out of position". You need to be careful when playing a hand like A T especially if you are in early position. This is because, when you bet after as ace has flopped, it becomes harder to know what you are up against when called. When in late position, you can tell from the previous action whether your opponent has a likelihood of having an ace.

When in late position, you should be willing to play in more speculative hands such as the middle suited connectors. In the case where you come in early, and you have a 8s 9s hand and you run into a big raise, you are required to fold and surrender your bet. Even when you get the advantage of seeing the flop with the hands, it becomes hard for you to take advantage and add up the results as it is hard to tell whether to bet out stay on and try to trap your opponent. When you play in late position, it is easier to know whether to expect a cheap flop or a favorable flop. In late position, you also have a better idea of the strength your opponents have thus you can plan on how to play him.

When starting a game, you need to take position very seriously. If you are not sure on playing because of whom you are up against, you can always consider your position. If you are caught in an early spot, you can fold and wait for another spot that is better. As a poker player, you should have a lot of discipline and patience. Wait for the right time to attack and you will emerge successful.