Texas Hold'em

 Texas Hold 'em

Assessing your Table Position and Your Starting Hand

Understanding table position, which is the relative position of every player at a table with respect to the dealer button, and learning how to assess your two pocket cards or starting hand are two of the most important concepts for winning Hold ’em. You need both a favorable seat position and a winning starting hand to win in Hold 'em. You're less likely than others to win pots when you play weak cards at weak tables. Understanding how to assess your seat position and start hand will help you win the largest pots and risk the least amount of cash--the ultimate goal of poker.

Assessing Your Table Position

There are three main types of table positions: the early, middle, or late. Early position refers to the three seats left of the button (dealer) and includes the small blind or big blind positions. Mid position includes the next two or perhaps three seats moving clockwise around the table. Later position includes the last three seats to act, including the dealer position. The dealer button moves around the table, changing your table position with each hand.

Simple: The table position has a direct impact on your betting strategy. If you wait to act on your cards, you will have more information to help you decide if you should play them. Play only hands that you can call multiple raises if you're in an early position. You have to assume that the rest of the table will act and you may be raised once or twice.

It is generally true that the later you place at the table the better your chances of deciding whether or not to place a wager on your hand. You can then evaluate the decisions made by the majority of other players. If everyone acts before you, your cards are usually more valuable than theirs. You must examine your cards carefully if you want to play if there are three people who raise the pot. You don't want to be the one who is first to put money on a hand that is weak. If three of your opponents raise, you'll have to give up the hand and the bet that you placed because you were playing marginal cards early.

Evaluation of your starting hand

Your odds of winning the pot are greater if you have a better two-card hand. It's as simple as that. As in all sports, you want the best chance to succeed. Golfers wouldn't deliberately pick the wrong clubs. Baseball players would never choose a bat that is too long or too heavy. Poker is the same. It is important to choose hands that will allow you to win more pots over your opponents. Early on in Texas Hold'em, it is crucial to learn how to judge starting hands and to play them in relation with your table position. learn how to position yourself to win in texas holdem