Poker Play Notes: Playing the Button
Friday, September 12th, 2008
You hear a lot of talk about the power of position in Texas Holdem, and though a lot of people seem to say and understand this, the full of value of position doesn’t seem to be utilized as well as it could be in newer players games. Less experienced players tend to want to focus on the value of their cards and what hands they’ve made rather than the expectation that their opponents, more often than not, will not make a hand, and thus be able to knocked off their holding (even when its better) with well-timed bets. These bets are easiest to make when in ‘position.’
The button, also known as the dealer position, or the last to act, is the most valuable position in poker because this player will have the opportunity to see what his or her opponent does on each street (each with the blinds preflop) before deciding what the best move to make is.
This is an extreme advantage, as with most pots, where big hands aren’t made, applying pressure in the face of weakness (a player checking, check calling when there is a draw on board and a non-scare card comes) can win a pot no matter what you have.
A lot of poker players like to raise on the button with almost any two cards, knowing their expectation is positive, and though this move has become rather predictable due to its popularity, it is often a strong move to make, especially with suited connectors, connecting cards, small pairs, and most any other hand that has a reasonable expectation.
