---

Poker Dictionary – Early-Position

Poker is an interesting game, and so are the technicalities and details of the game. The deeper you dive into the game, the more there is to learn about the game. But before you dive deeper, it’s essential that you are well versed with the basic terms and jargon used in the world of poker. The game has specific terms and phrases to describe certain cards, pairs of cards, hands, strategies and even places on the poker table.

Yes, the position that a player is seated on the poker table also has specific names. What difference does the seating make you ask? Well, where you are seated on the poker table can be of strategic importance and can also impact the way you play your game. In this article, we shall discuss one such poker table position – ‘Early-position.’

What is ‘Early-Position’?

An early position is usually the first three players seated to the left of the dealer. These consist of the small blind (SB), the big blind (BB) and the player to the left of the BB, commonly known as the ‘under the gun (UTG)’ position. 

In the case of a larger table the player to the left of the UTG, i.e., UTG+1 can also be considered as an early position. The early positions are usually the first to act after the flop. 

ALSO READ: Why Poker Table Position Matters in Texas Hold’em Poker?

How to play in the ‘Early-Position’?

Generally, the early positions are considered disadvantageous positions since the players are expected to act with very little information. You don’t know what the other players on the table are going to do and how they would react to your move. However, if played strategically well, you can turn your early position in your favour. 

It is advisable to play only premium hands from the early position. Avoid betting in early positions to take the game slowly. Depending on your hole cards, you can use a combination of calling and raising strategies if you have small or medium pairs like 10-10 or fish hooks. If you have big cards like a K-Q or a J-10, you need to play carefully. With the best hands such as bullets, cowboys or queens, you can re-raise to trap your opponents, in case the table has aggressive players.

Photo credits: Triton Poker

For more information and updates, keep reading Gutshot Magazine. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram. 

---

---

More News

---