by Al Sousa (site owner)
These two positions are the cutoff (just to the right of the button)
and the button. Position is power and knowledge. With position you...
Can check when opponents check and get a free card
Can bet when opponents check and make them pay for the next card.
Can raise when opponents bet for the free card on the turn or to
build a pot.
Can steal a pot by betting when all other players checked.
Can fold if bet and raised in front of saving you bets.
So the gain is at least 1 bet on each street. This is a huge advantage
compared to acting 1st.
In position you can play many more hands, especially if there are
lots of callers to justify your marginal hand. A hand like 5 6
on the button with 5 limpers is getting the right price to call.
You have position and an easy way to get rid of the hand if it misses.
If you hit you can make everyone pay an extra bet. Trash hands like
J 6
are still unplayable.
Good hands with high rank and suitedness against many players should
be raised on the button or cutoff because your pot equity is higher
than your pot investment.
Equity: Your "rightful" share of a pot.
If the pot contains $80, and you have a 50% chance of winning it,
you have $40 equity in the pot.
Take a look at the example below where you have Q T
on the button.
UTG Player JJ |
37.4% |
63% |
| MP1 player 87 |
8.4% |
2.5% |
| MP2 player 55 |
15.1% |
14.1% |
| You on the button QT
|
25.2% |
18.1% |
| BB player 98 |
13.8% |
2.3% |
You put in 20% of the total money in the pot but your chance to
win is higher than that even though you are behind to the pair of
jacks.
Equity seeing all 5 cards: This is your chance
to win if you stay to the river, 25.2% which is more than the percentage
of the pot money you put in.
Equity seeing only the flop: This is your chance
to be ahead with a pair, 2 pair, trips, flush, straight, full house,
or quads on the flop. This does NOT count having a draw to the best
hand which might actually be the favorite from the flop on.
Example is if the board comes K9T.
You can catch any J, Q, T or heart to be winning (17 outs) which
makes you the favorite.
If it is folded to you in late position a lot of your marginal hands now become raising
hands. You have 2-3 players left to act behind you that probably
have poor holdings. Even though your hand might be worse than theirs,
they don't know that. You have position and if called your opponent will
miss the flop most of the time and you can pick up the pot with a bet behind.
Also with the marginal hand you still have ways to win against
a better hand. You also might just steal the blinds outright. The
combination of all these makes raising the blinds from the CO or
Button with lessor hands profitable. It will also keep you unpredictable.
Now raising with a hand like 84
is not recommended, it does not have enough ways to win. I would
choose hands that have 2 of the 3 characteristics, rank, suitedness,
connectedness. If your players are loose and will call you no matter if you raise or not raise in these situations then limp in and see a flop. You have position and polay better.
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