Mastering Position in Poker: Why Where You Sit Matters More Than Your Cards

I'm going to tell you something that took me years to truly understand: position is more important than your cards. Sounds crazy, right? But once you grasp this concept, your poker game will never be the same.

Every professional player knows that a mediocre hand in position will often outperform a strong hand out of position. Let me explain why, and more importantly, how you can use this to crush your games.

What Is Position in Poker?

Position refers to where you sit relative to the dealer button. The player on the button acts last on every street after the flop, giving them the ultimate positional advantage. As you move further from the button, your position gets worse.

Here's the general breakdown:

• Early Position (EP): The first few players to act, including the blinds post-flop
• Middle Position (MP): The middle seats at the table
• Late Position (LP): The cutoff and button
• The Blinds: Act last pre-flop but first on every subsequent street

Why Position Gives You Power

Information Advantage

When you act last, you get to see what everyone else does before making your decision. This is enormous. Your opponent bets into you? You know they have something worth betting. They check? They're showing weakness. In position, you're always making decisions with more information.

Out of position, you're flying blind. You have to act without knowing what your opponents will do. Will they bet if you check? Will they fold if you bet? You're guessing. And guessing in poker costs money.

Pot Control

Position allows you to control the size of the pot. Want to keep the pot small with a marginal hand? Check behind. Want to build a big pot with a monster? Bet and raise. You dictate the terms.

Out of position, you lose this control. If you check, your opponent might check back or bet. You can't control what happens next. This leads to playing bigger pots with weaker ranges—a recipe for losing money.

Bluffing Opportunities

Bluffs work best in position. When your opponent checks to you, they're often admitting weakness. A well-timed bet can take down the pot regardless of what you hold.

Bluffing out of position is dangerous. You can't be sure your opponent won't raise, and you've given them a chance to trap you with a strong hand.

How to Play From Each Position

Early Position Strategy

In early position, you need to be tight. Very tight. The problem is that everyone acts after you for the rest of the hand. Playing weak hands here is asking for trouble.

Stick to premium hands: high pocket pairs, big suited aces, and strong broadway cards. If you wouldn't be comfortable facing a 3-bet with your hand, you probably shouldn't open it from early position.

When you do enter pots from early position, play aggressively. Raise rather than limp. You want to thin the field and define your range as strong.

Middle Position Strategy

Middle position allows for some loosening up. You still have players behind you, but fewer of them. You can start adding hands like suited connectors, smaller pocket pairs, and more broadway combinations.

Pay attention to who's in late position. If tight players are on the button and in the cutoff, you can play a bit looser since they're less likely to attack. If aggressive players are there, tighten back up.

Late Position Strategy

This is where the money is made. From the cutoff and especially the button, you can play a much wider range. You might open 25-30% of hands from the button in some games.

The key is aggression. Don't just limp in with speculative hands—raise them. You want to isolate weak players and take control of the pot. When you have position, even medium-strength hands become profitable.

Playing the Blinds

The blinds are the worst positions at the table. You've already put money in, so there's temptation to defend wide. But post-flop, you're out of position for the rest of the hand.

From the small blind, I recommend playing quite tight unless you're up against a weak player. The combination of being out of position and having the big blind behind you makes this a difficult spot.

From the big blind, you're getting good odds to defend against steals, but don't go crazy. Yes, you're closing the action pre-flop, but remember you'll be first to act on every street after.

Reading Your Position Relative to Opponents

It's not just about your position relative to the button—it's about your position relative to specific opponents.

The Aggressive Player

If there's a maniac at your table, you want them on your right. This means they act before you, and you can trap their aggression. If they're on your left, they can constantly attack you and make your life difficult.

The Calling Station

Calling stations are profitable opponents, but you want to be in position against them. Why? Because they won't fold, so you need to value bet relentlessly and avoid bluffing. Position lets you control the betting and extract maximum value.

The Tight Player

Against tight players, position lets you steal their blinds and attack their checks. They're giving up on too many pots, and you can take advantage—but only if you act after them.

Adjusting Your Game Based on Stack Depths

Position matters more in deeper-stacked games. When stacks are 100+ big blinds deep, the positional advantage compounds over multiple streets of betting.

In short-stacked situations, position matters less because there's less room for maneuvering. Most pots are decided pre-flop or on the flop.

This is why online fast-fold games and tournament shoves feel so different from deep-stacked cash games. The deeper you are, the more position impacts every decision.

Common Positional Mistakes

Overvaluing Hands Out of Position

That ace-queen looks great until you're check-calling three streets from the blinds against a button raise. The same hand in position might be worth a lot more because you control the action.

Don't fall in love with hands out of position. Even strong hands become harder to play.

Not Stealing Enough From Late Position

Many players are too passive when they have position. They wait for premium hands instead of attacking limpers, stealing blinds, and picking up small pots.

If the table is tight and you're on the button, you should be raising frequently. Don't wait for aces—take what's given to you.

Playing Too Many Hands Out of Position

This is the biggest leak I see in live low-stakes games. Players call raises from the blinds with hands like K-8 suited or Q-J offsuit because "I'm already in for the blind."

Stop it. Those chips you already posted are gone. Making bad calls just because you already have money in is textbook poor poker.

Putting It Into Practice

Here's my challenge for you: for your next five sessions, consciously track how position affects your results. Note when you make money from late position versus early position. See how often you're able to control pots from the button versus the blinds.

I think you'll be surprised. Once you see the data, you'll never undervalue position again.

Some practical tips to start:

1. Tighten up early position raises by 20% from what you're currently playing
2. Add more steals from the cutoff and button when action folds to you
3. Avoid defending the blinds with easily dominated hands
4. Seek out tables where aggressive players sit to your right
5. Practice controlling pot size from late position with medium-strength hands

Position isn't just one aspect of poker strategy—it's the foundation that everything else builds upon. Master it, and you'll have an edge in every pot you play.