Poker School · lesson 3 of 7 · 4 min
The largest edge available to a beginner, and the cheapest to pick up.
Acting last is an information advantage
Position means where you sit relative to the dealer button. After the flop, action always moves clockwise starting from the button's left, so the player on the button acts last on every remaining round.
Acting last means everyone else has already told you something. You get to decide with information they did not have when they decided. That is the whole of it, and it is worth more than most starting hands.
The seats
| Seat | Position |
|---|---|
| Under the gun | First to act preflop. Worst seat. Play very few hands here. |
| Middle position | A few seats later. Still acting before most of the table. |
| Cutoff | One right of the button. Good, and it becomes best if the button folds. |
| Button | Acts last on flop, turn and river. The best seat at the table. |
| Small blind | Acts first after the flop, and has already put money in. Hardest seat to play. |
| Big blind | Acts second-to-first after the flop, but gets a discount preflop. |
What to do about it
- Play more hands on the button and the cutoff than anywhere else.
- Play far fewer under the gun. A hand that is a clear raise on the button can be a fold from first position.
- Treat the small blind as the seat where you need a genuinely good hand, not a discounted one.
If you change one thing after reading this section, fold more hands from early position. It costs nothing and it is the mistake beginners make most.
