Understanding the Value of Position in Poker

No matter what poker variant you play, it is always going to be preferable to play a hand with position on your opponent(s) than to play it out of position.

Position is especially important in no-limit hold'em given the fact that unlike in fixed-limit games, the player acting last can exert greater control on the pot size, thereby making things very uncomfortable for an out-of-position opponent.

New players often seek advice about starting hand selection. They realize (hopefully) they can't play every hand they are dealt, so they know they need to be selective. They know pocket aces and kings are great and so is ace-king, and that eight-trey and seven-deuce are among the worst hands you can…