Like in the retail business where the three most important things are location, location, location – in all forms of Hold’Em the three most important things are position, position, position.

Now that doesn’t mean that the only time that you can play a hand is when you are “on the button” (this is the term generally used for the position of power in Hold’Em – the dealer position, being the last one to act), however it does mean that you have a greater advantage or edge over your opponents when you are in position.

Many times, poker is referred to as the game of misinformation because you are making decisions based on incomplete information.

You need as much information as possible to make the best decision possible. If you are last to act on any given round of betting, you then have the most information to work with and thus can make the best decisions. This is why being “on the button” is referred to as the position of power. Many times when you are “on the button” and sense weakness you can raise and win the pot – this is often referred to as playing power poker or position poker (sometimes you will hear people say that it is a position raise or a position win and it is precisely that - you don’t necessarily need cards you just need position and the willingness to bet)

An experienced player can sometimes use position in unique ways. There is something I like to call “reverse position”. Many times when you are first to act or in early position (the blinds and within the first three positions after the blinds) if you feel that the table is weak many times the person who wins the pot will be the first person to bet at it.

If you are in early position you will be one of the first with the opportunity to bet, and because it takes a stronger hand to call a bet than it does to bet a hand, in the main, you will only be called or raised by someone who has you beat. Using reverse position is a powerful concept that will many times win you the pot, or at the very least let you know where you are in the hand. The more information you have the better the decision you can make.

The key thing about position is to be aware of it, to know and understand your position and the position of others in the hand. This way you can think several steps or plays ahead and gain that edge that will help you be a successful poker player. After you gain some experience playing NLHE (No Limit Hold 'Em) you should be able to predict the betting patterns of many of your opponents.

Having good position (being in the later positions) in certain circumstances, will allow you to steal the blinds. Say, for instance, you are on the button and it is folded around to you. You look down and see 7/2 off suit, a hand that you always fold since it is widely considered the worst starting hand in Hold ‘Em. However, everyone else has folded and you only have to worry about the blinds. Now you are in a good position to bluff and try to pick up the blinds. Because the blinds are forced bets, you can never be sure that they have a playable hand and a raise might just entice them to fold. This is another advantage of position.

Remember, position is KEY