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Poker glossary

In Position

What it means

Being “in position” means acting after your opponents during a hand. You have position when you’re seated to the left of other players still in the pot, allowing you to see their actions before making your own decisions. This informational advantage is one of the most powerful concepts in poker.

How it works at the table

Position rotates clockwise around the table with each hand. The button has absolute position postflop against everyone else. Consider this example: You’re on the button with K♥ J♥ and face a 3bb raise from middle position. You call, both blinds fold. The flop comes Q♠ 10♦ 4♣. Your opponent checks. Because you act last, you can check behind for a free card or bet to represent strength. If they had bet, you’d have perfect information about their action before deciding whether to call, raise, or fold. This advantage exists on every street.

Strategic context

Position amplifies every other strategic element in poker. Your bluffs carry more weight because opponents must act first without knowing your intentions. You can control pot size more effectively, checking behind when you want a cheap showdown or betting to build a pot with strong hands. Position also lets you realize more of your equity because you’re less likely to face difficult decisions that force you to fold. Professional players will often play wider ranges in position and tighter ranges out of position to maximize this edge.

Common mistakes

Many players underestimate position’s value, playing too many hands from early position where they’ll be out of position postflop. Others fail to exploit their positional advantage when they have it - checking behind too often in position instead of betting for value or as a bluff. A third error is not adjusting bet sizing based on position; you can often bet smaller in position since opponents face the disadvantage of acting first on future streets.

Position works hand-in-hand with range construction - the later your position, the wider you can profitably play. Understanding position is essential for proper preflop strategy, as outlined in the complete position play guide. The concept becomes even more critical in multiway pots where you might have position on some opponents but not others.