position
PositionAliases: 位置, IP, OOP
Position is the action order relative to the button. It is the most stable structural advantage in poker, shaping range design, sizing, and decision space.
Position is the action order relative to the button (BTN). The later your position (the closer to the button), the more information you have and the more flexibility you can wield.
Detailed Explanation
Poker positions:
- Early position (EP): UTG, UTG+1 — tightest range
- Middle position (MP): HJ, LJ — middle range
- Late position (LP): CO, BTN — widest range
- Blinds: SB, BB — always OOP both pre and post-flop
Position's value comes from two mechanisms:
- Information advantage: the player acting later sees earlier actions before deciding — essentially free intel
- Pot control: in position, you can size up or down through bets and checks to maximize value or minimize loss
In practice, IP players have a systematically higher win rate than OOP players. The same hand played IP nets 1-3 bb/100 more on average than played OOP.
Common Use Cases
- Preflop range construction: build by position — EP plays only the top ~10% of hands, BTN can play 40%+
- Postflop play: IP players favor small bets and delayed cbets; OOP players favor check-raises and donk bets
- Counter-attacks vs opens: from LP vs EP open, 3bet range is tight; from BB vs BTN open, 3bet range is wide