Using position to your advantage is an absolute must in online poker and live cash games. Each time I see limper’s and weak players enter a pot and I have position my first thought is to RAISE. Now that doesn’t mean that I want to raise with absolutely nothing but it does mean that if I have a small or middle pair, suited connectors or KQ I want to put pressure on them. Why let the weak players enter the pot when you can potentially take it down immediately uncontested? That is the kind of question you need to be asking yourself when you sit down at a table or play online poker.

Position equals leverage in my book. Position means that I am the last to act and by raising the pot I put the pressure back on those that limped in. So what happens if I get re-raised? Well, you then need to make a decision as to what kind of hands and what kind of player is re-raising you? You need to be able to put them on a range of hands and act accordingly. You also need to ask yourself how much is it going to cost me to call? What kind of chip stack do I have if I decide to make the call? Lastly, you need to determine what are the implied odds of making the call and I hit my hand?

All of these are legitimate scenarios to consider in your decision making. Poker strategy comes in all kinds of shapes, forms, and sizes. Position is one of those tools of poker that you must learn to use to your advantage to be successful. When used wisely by good players it makes a world of difference and allows you to accumulate chips throughout the poker tournament or cash game against weaker players.