Steal The Button In Poker Or Forget It!
Feb 23, 2012 Play Poker Game Poker Strategies
The button position in a game of poker, whether it is Hold’em poker or Omaha, is considered to be the best table position. It is so because when a person is playing on the button position he is the one who gets to make his bet last in the subsequent betting rounds. Any poker player would understand how advantageous is a position as at this position the player gets to judge opponents by their moves and then act accordingly. For example when a player is on the button and he observes some of the players before him limping in, he can go for a significant raise and win the pot amount. Or in another situation the button player might realize how strong the opponents’ hands are and would consider it wise to go for a fold. It is simple that playing last gives you more information about the others which eventually strengthens your game plan.
When a player is playing from the button position his credibility becomes an issue. Since he is the one to be playing last after everybody else has made their moves he has to decide whether the going for a bluff will yield fruit. If a player is in the habit of making a raise every time others limp in then the credibility becomes questionable and if you a player is one among those who always make a raise on the button then there is a chance that nobody will believe the player anymore and in a worst case scenario the player becomes so predictable with his moves that he gets trapped.
One of the famous tricks, that has always worked is to raise just before the button. The first thing one can achieve by doing this is getting the person on the button to fold and this is definitely a big advantage because when they fold you become the one to act last. You win the button position for yourself. This move also builds a credible image for you. Mostly all players doubt about the strength of your hand when you raise from the button position but when you raise from the middle position the other players automatically believe that you have a strong hand. And the third thing you gain by doing so is you can easily set up a bluff for the coming betting round.
However this strategy comes with its own disadvantages. The first issue is the fact that you are going for a raise in the first round itself and there are three more players to follow you. This is a risk that you are taking because one among three players might have a really strong hand. If your investment during pre flop stage is not much more then it is not a very big risk you are taking. If the players that play after you go for calling your raise pre-flop, it means that they certainly have a strong hand. It is important that you remain careful with this strategy
The button position is the strongest position in the game of poker and a lot of winning strategies can be built when someone is sitting on the button but when one is placed before it then the best way to beat it is to steal the button.
