Drawing Positions

Back in the days when we played mostly limit hold’em and Omaha, it was quite clear that a flush or straight draw was worth more in last position. Among other reasons, if we hit our flush or straight on the turn or river, the lead bettor who had bet the flop was acting in front of us, and he would either continue betting or check. Then, we could raise or bet accordingly.

But if we were acting first and hit our draw, we would have to guess whether to bet or trap (check, hoping to check-raise). And if we checked, the flop bettor might not like the card that came and might check — which would cost us money. Since position substantially affects the value of a holding, there are many hands in limit hold’em and Omaha that normally should be folded from an early position, but can be played profitably from a late position.

Nowadays, when playing no-limit or pot-limit, position is even more important. Clearly, if you happen to hit a winning hand, you strongly prefer that your opponent has a chance to bet before it is your turn to act. Note that in pot-limit, if you hit your draw when in first position, and bet the pot after the turn and bet the pot again after the river, you will be betting a total of four times the size that the pot was after the flop (assuming one caller). But if your opponent acts first and bets the pot after the turn or if you check and your opponent cooperates and bets the pot after the turn, you can raise or check-raise the pot, and then bet the much larger pot after the river card Thus, by acting second and raising (instead of lead-betting), you would be betting a total of 13 times the size of the pot after the flop.

In both no-limit and pot-limit, you can occasionally turn the positional disadvantage into the advantage of “getting there first.” In a default pot situation in which no one has a good hand, if the player acting first makes a bet, he will often take the pot. So, if you happen to have a good draw in first position, by betting, you might win the pot by default, or if you get called, you might hit your draw. Thus, betting a good draw from first position usually figures to have positive expected value in the long run.

For example, if your opponent hits a playable flop about one time in three and you hit your draw about one time in three, when you make a moderate bet after the flop, you figure to have positive expected value a nice percentage of the time. Even if your opponent calls your bet after the flop, the possibility of your hitting and winning a larger pot, or of your opponent folding to your next bet, usually keeps the percentages favorable for you.

Playing $5-$10 pot-limit Omaha high, I am in the big blind and pick up the K 10 6 3. After one crawler, a middle-position player makes it a “smooth twenty.” There is another caller, and the small blind also calls. So, with such good pot odds, I call the extra $10.

An intriguing flop hits the table, J 5 4 — giving me a straight-flush draw. There is $100 in the pot, and all five players involved have well over $500 stacks (I have about $650). The small blind checks to me. What should I do in this position?

Since most of the other players would probably consider this an ugly flop, I estimated that a $100 (pot-size) bet would buy the pot about half the time. And a pot-size bet here also would probably fold medium-high flush draws. It almost worked. Only the small blind slowly called. The Q came on the turn, which gave me six more straight outs. He checked to me, and I bet $200 (leaving myself with about $350 in chips). He pondered briefly, and folded.

So, I had risked about $300 and won about $200 net — without having to hit my draws. My betting had overcome the disadvantage of acting up front. And, once again, it was clearly “better to be the bettor.”

But what if my opponent hadn’t folded to my second bet, and I then missed on the river? Would I try pushing the rest of my chips? This is one of the most potentially costly and skill-demanding situations in poker. And, obviously, it really helps if you have a decent read on your opponent. There will be many times when attempting the bluff will be futile, as you’ll be throwing good money after bad. So, if you perceive a call to be likely, don’t waste more money.

The bottom line here is that you would generally prefer to be acting last with a good draw. But, if you happen to find yourself in first position, betting a good draw is often a winning play. And even if you end up losing the pot, your “bluffing” efforts might be noticed and have good PR value (worth future dollars).

Formerly a career lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, Mike Cappelletti has written numerous books on poker and bridge, and is considered to be one of the leading authorities on Omaha. Mike has also represented the U.S. in international bridge competition, and he and his wife were featured in a four-page Couples Section in People magazine. His books include Cappelletti on Omaha, Poker at the Millennium (with Mike Caro), and Omaha High Low Poker.