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Position is key in games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha. Generally, players who act later have the advantage. The best spot to play is on the button, because you act last every betting hand after the flop. You can see how your opponents bet before you act and exploit this knowledge to your advantage.

Position is particularly important in No Limit. Often, you may be able to take a pot with the worst hand if you have better position. This is true, for example, if your opponents show weakness by checking after the flop or turn, or if they vary the size of their bets. You will have a better idea how much money they are willing to commit to the pot before you decide whether to continue with your hand.

A final advantage of having favorable (late) position is that pre-flop, there are fewer hands to beat. If you are on the button and the action folds to you, you can raise with marginal hands because there are only two players left who can contest the pot. More often than not, these hands cannot stand a raise, so you stand a good chance of “stealing” the blinds when you raise from late position.

The Button: Power or Problem? by T.G Cloutier.

" Suppose you're playing hold'em in a full ring game. Six players have passed to you on the button. Although you don't have much of a hand, you're considering raising to steal the blinds. With 18 cards dealt, it seems reasonable to assume that when everybody has passed, it is more likely than usual that the blinds could have a legitimate hand.

When you're on the button, you're in the power position. The blinds will always have to act before you do after the flop. A lot of times, you don't have to make a button raise. If you just call, they will have to come to you.

And when they have to act first, you have plenty of options after you've seen the flop. Contrary to what a lot of players do, I limp on the button quite often, unless I have a big hand. Sometimes, I might steal a guy's button by raising from one seat in front of the button. I'm a thief, but I'm not always on the button when I try to steal!

I know a player who always makes a small raise when everybody has passed to him on the button. Knowing that he plays very aggressively off the button, you can make a lot of money from this player when you're in one of the blinds. Just reraise him three or four times in a session. He'll lay his hand down often enough for you to make a profit "

Autor: T.J. Cloutier