What is Position?

Position is among the most important concepts in poker strategy. It describes where a player sits relative to the dealer button, which dictates the order of action on every betting round after the flop. Acting later means acting with more information, and over a large sample that information advantage translates directly into higher profitability. The seats are grouped from early to late. Early position, immediately left of the blinds, must act first and therefore decides blind to the intentions of everyone behind. Late position, the cutoff and especially the button, acts last and sees how every opponent has behaved before committing a single chip. The button is the most powerful seat at the table because it retains last action on the flop, turn and river. That extra information has concrete uses. From late position you can bet thinly for value when checked to, apply pressure as a Continuation Bet against a likely weak field, control the size of the Pot more precisely, and bluff with better timing because you have already seen weakness. A hand that is barely playable from early position becomes a clear raise from the button simply because you will act last for the rest of the deal. The common mistake is playing too many hands out of position, particularly flat-calling raises from the blinds with marginal holdings, then facing awkward decisions on every street with no information. Disciplined players widen their range in late position and tighten it sharply early. Thinking in terms of position before you think about your cards is one of the fastest ways to improve results.