Online poker is a game that is full of imperfect information, so the more pieces of data you can collect at the table the better. The best way to gather as much information as possible is to play as many pots as you can in position.

There’s a clichéd but pertinent saying in poker: position is king. This may be an overused term but its importance cannot be understated. Every decision you make at the felt can be made infinitely easier by playing when you have the positional advantage.

So what do we mean be having position in poker? Basically it means that you are the last player to act after the flop. In this position you get to see what everyone else does before you, something which makes your decision process infinitely easier.

3-betting, which is a core skill required by any aspiring poker player, is always best done in position. This is because it places the most amount of pressure on your opponent. When you 3-bet out of position your opponent only has to cope with the fact they have to put more money into the pot. When you do it in position you force them to add more cash into the middle of the table as well as leave them acting first on every street post-flop. Thus, because they won’t know whether you’re going to call or raise they will feel at even more of a disadvantage.

Indeed, this is just one example of why playing in position is a major tenet of winning poker. No one likes making tough decisions, so to prevent this from happening at the poker table remember to always play when the flow of action is in your favour.