An Illustrated Guide to Learning About Poker Position

One of the first terms you hear bandied about at the poker table is "position" -- as in "I've got position on you," or "I hate getting this hand in early position."

Position in poker refers to where a player sits in reference other players. If someone says "I've got position on you" -- it means he's sitting to your left, and will always act after you.

Most often, position is used to define where a player sits relative to the dealer and whether you'll be first or last to act in a round of betting.

Dealer Position

Your position at the table is always relative to the dealer for that hand's position. That's one of the reasons the deal rotates around the table in poker, so that everyone gets equal time in every position.

Being in the dealer position, or "on the button," is the most desirable position in poker in flop community games like Texas Hold'em, since after the flop, the person on the button will always be the last to act in each round of betting.

You can get away with playing more marginal hands on the button because of this advantage.

Poker Rules.

If you've never played poker before or are relatively new to the game, start here. Learn the basics of how to play poker, including the ranks of hands, basic poker terms, etiquette, and betting rules. Master the basics of how to play and deal games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, seven-card stud, and five-card draw.

1. Don’t Play Out of Turn

While you may be so excited about how good your hand is you can hardly wait to raise the pot, you have to wait until it's your turn to do so. Same goes for folding hands you can't wait to get away from. If you jump the gun, it gives other players information they shouldn't have before they make their own decision and can confuse the action.

2. Don't Talk About Your Cards While the Hand is Still Going On

Once you've folded, it's tempting to chat about what would have happened if you had stayed in, but if anyone who's still in the hand hears, it'll give them information that they might use to their advantage. For instance, if you had a 7-2 as your pocket cards in Hold'em and the flop comes 7-7-2, if you blurt out that you would have had a full house, everyone will know that it's unlikely that any player still in the hand has the full house, making it hard to bluff and represent that hand.

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Poker Rules.[2]

3. Don't Show Your Cards (Until the Showdown)

When you fold, make sure you don't flash or flip over your cards as you toss them into the muck. Again, if players know what you fold, it'll give them information that may change how the rest of the hand plays out. Unless you are all-in andheads up, there is no reason to show or expose your cards until the showdown.

4. Don't Splash the Pot

There are two bad betting habits that you see a lot in the movies which are no-nos in real life. The first is when a player tosses his bet in a big mess in the center of the pot. That's called Splashing the Pot, and it makes it hard to tell how much you've bet. A better way is just to stack your chips neatly in front of you to bet.

5. Don't Make String Bets

The second bad habit from movies is the string bet, which is when a player goes "I'll call your 500.... and raise another 1000!" You have to declare whether you're simply calling or raising right away -- once you say "call," that's all you can do. If you're going to raise, say raise and the amount right away. This is especially important in casinos.

6. Don't Be Rude or Mean

Even if you're having a bad losing streak, it doesn't give you the right to curse other players or be rude to the dealer. It will win you neither pots nor friends.

7. If You Show One, Show All

If you win a hand before the showdown but want to show your cards anyway, you can't just show them to the one player to your left or right, you have to turn them up for the whole table to see. After all, why should only the lucky players next to you get to know what you were holding?