Consequences of position in poker
Marcus Bateman
/
Marcus Bateman /
09 October 2008 /
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The answer is simple - you should always sit to the right of the rocks and the left of the maniacs.
Following on from the previous article about the importance of moving seats in cash games, I want to look at the broader consequences of seats and position in poker. The first key point is that most of any players profit will come from the right. Most of your losses will be to players on your left.
In fact, if all players were equal in ability, the money would effectively slowly move around the table in a constant clockwise motion, as players won money from the player on their right, only to lose it straight to the player on their left and so on.
The key is that not all players are equal in ability - and having certain types of player in certain places can drastically change the dynamic of a game. To look at this I want to compare the dynamic at a table where half the players are tight rocks and the other half are loose maniacs. The rocks are sitting in a row of three, as are the maniacs. There are two seat available, one on the right of the rocks, one on the left. Which should you choose?
The answer is simple - you should always sit to the right of the rocks and the left of the maniacs. The maniacs will be frequently raising and you will be able to call, fold, or re-raise safe in the knowledge that it is unlikely any of the rocks will do anything without a monster. You will also have position on the loose players for the whole hand which makes your life much easier. You also have the added bonus of being able to steal the blinds from the tight players when the action is folded around to you - the tight players will give up their blinds far more than is optimal.
Compare this situation with what happens if you take the other seat. Here it is much harder to attack the tight players blinds, as you will have to do it from an early position and have to face the loose players getting involved - in position - behind you. You will also not be able to steal the blinds easily, as the loose players will constantly defend their blinds.
As a general rule, you always want loose players on your right, and tight players on your left. Recognising who and where the players are is crucial to poker success, especially in tournaments where you cannot pick/change seats. Here you will have to adjust your play hugely depending on who is on your left and right - it is often worth raising constantly if you know the players on your left are tight, or slowing down when it becomes obvious that they are very loose and aggressive.
Pay close attention to who is where and shift your game to fit the circumstances.
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