Position is probably one of the most basic concept in poker, but a very important one. Generally speaking, position refers to your location, as in when you get to act, in regards to the dealer button. So for instance, in a 9 player poker table, the small blind would be in first position, the big blind in second position and so on, until you reach the player on the button who's in last position. When it comes to poker, you want to be in last position not first.
Position is usually divided in three categories: Early Position, Middle Position and Late Position. Let's examine each one:
Players in Early Position are the players who acts first in a game of poker. Generally, on a full table, that means the two blinds and the third player. The two blinds are not only forced to put money in the pot, they must also act first in all the betting rounds, beside preflop (where they actually have position on the other players).
Players in Middle Position are exactly that, in the middle. On a 9 player table, that would represent position 4, 5 and 6. It's a better spot than early position, but you are still out of position in comparison to the remaining players.
Players in Late Position are the players who act last in a round of poker. The player on the button will always be the last to act (except preflop) and is said to have position on all the others.
Having position on a player means acting after him/her, while being out of position means having to act before the other player. In poker, the advantage lies in having position on another player because you get to analyse his play before acting yourself; you therefore have more information to guide your next move.
This is why being in late position is an obvious advantage in poker. There's a lot of strategy involved with your position in poker. And, even though being in early position is disadvantageous generally, it can also be used to your advantage given specific situation.
Position will be a recurring theme on which we will come back throughout this guide.
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