Tip #3: Position in Pot Limit Omaha

Hands down, position in poker is absolutely key to becoming successful as a player. Every hand, every move that a player makes is based on position and whether they feel as if what they are doing outweighs the disadvantages of being out of position.

Below, we have listed the top 3 advantages to understanding position in pot limit Omaha, or any poker game for that matter, as well as the disadvantages for being out of position.

Position in Omaha

Information: The biggest reason to consider position when playing poker is because information is power, the more you have the better off you are. For example, if you wanted to play a hand like A-K-4-5 double suited from early position and just limped in, you would not know if someone is going to raise behind you or limp in as well. However, from late position, you can see all the action unfold in front of you. So, if you have A-K-4-5 and noticed everyone folded to you, you can then precede to raise. But, if someone raises in front of you than you know your hand is probably no good and can fold it. Utilizing position and playing hands while having position on an opponent will allow you to make more money and lose less money as you will know what everyone does before you have to act.

Pot Control: Being able to control a pot is an excellent tool for a poker player to utilize and will generally only work while in position. For example, if you were in early position and maybe had a small pair that you were not too fond of but wanted to see a turn card with, you would check it. However, since you are out of position you have no idea if you are really going to be able to see a turn card free.

On the other hand, if you were in position your opponent would be first to act and if he checked it to you, then you can accomplish keeping the pot small by checking behind him.

Now, if you had a monster in position and someone checked or even raised in front of you, you can then build the pot by raising or re-raising. This would be difficult to do out of position because if you were the first to act and checked in hopes your opponent would lead out, it is not guaranteed they will and if they do not, you lose value on your hand. And if you lead out with a monster in early position, it is possible your opponent will fold or just play passive and just call.

Simply put, being in position will allow you to keep the pot small with mediocre hands and attempt to build pots with monsters. Being out of position makes that much more difficult to achieve.

Stealing: Stealing pots and pushing players of their hands are going to be much easier to do while in position. And this is simply because you are the last one to act and can bet when it is checked to you, check raise player’s bets and get more aggressive and get away with it.

Out of position, this will be more difficult because you are going to have a harder time putting your opponent on a range of hands. If you were trying to bluff an opponent are check raised as we mentioned above, you would have to fold your hand because you did not have anything. It will not even matter if your opponent has anything or not.

Playing Position in Pot Limit Omaha – final words

The bottom line is, is that information is power and the later you have to act in a hand the more you will get. By playing in later positions, players are able to play a wider range of hands that will all be more profitable then if they were played out of position. When a player has a firm grasp on how position is beneficial to their poker game and bases their actions off it, they will prove to save money from not playing in early position and will make more by waiting for ideal spots in later position.