Opening Up Your Game In Late Position

When playing poker, experienced poker players understand the importance of aggression and opening up your game in late position. In this article we will discuss the advantages of undertaking this poker strategy.

Interestingly, this concept applies to both 10 handed and 6 handed games but is more important for 6 max games because the blinds come around a lot quicker. Most beginner players who are new to playing Texas hold’em poker underestimate the importance of position. What they fail to realize is that a player who is last to act in the hand gains an advantage over all the players involved in the hand, so if a player checks the flop after being the pre flop aggressor, this is usually a sign they are giving up on the hand unless they are being tricky, so if you missed the flop yourself you can take down the pot.

For this reason, late position in Texas hold’em is a powerful weapon. If the action is folded to you in late position, which is the CO or BTN in 6 max games, by open raising, you are pretty much guranteed to have position in the hand. Well, you are actually guranteed to have it if you are on the button. This is what makes raising such an attractive proposition. By opening up your game in late positions at the table, it makes it really difficult for the players still to act to call, unless they have a premium hand.

Also, since everybody has folded when the action gets to you in late position, there are fewer players left to act behind you, so there is less chance of a player holding a premium hand, unlike when you are are in early position and every other player at the table is yet to act.

So for the reasons above, even when you don’t happen to have a good hand opening up your game in late position is going to be profitable for you. While there are no exact rules for what range of hands you should raise with in late position, there are certain things you should keep in mind when deciding to open up your game.

The single most important consideration is the players who are to act behind you. If one of the players is loose aggressive and always 3betting versus late position raises, then it won’t be worthwhile raising a wide range in late position, and you should probably try and find another table, because its difficult playing with an aggressive player to your left. However, if the players to your left and in the blinds are tight players, you should be raising a lot of hands in position. Some players will open 30 percent of their hands from the button, which will basically include any ace, suited or not, suited kinds, broadway hands, suited connectors and one gap connectors.

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