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Poker - Seating Matters

While such things as table position may not matter in most gambling games, in poker, it can matter a great deal. Learning how to select the right table and the right seat at that table can help an intermediate poker player advance his or her game and win a great deal more often.

Why Position Matters

For some games, seating order at the poker table doesn't matter at all. For rotating games, where the blind passes to each player, giving each a chance to start the bet, seating order does not matter so much. In many online games, though, when the bet is always set by the player in the first seat, the first seat has the best advantage. This is because that first player sets the tone for the bet, allowing others to challenge, but always holding the upper hand. For skilled players, then, this is definitely the best seat.

Finding the Right Seat

When playing poker in a live casino, seat order doesn't matter, so players should most carefully feel out the table. If the skill level of the other players greatly exceeds the player's own, he or she should probably move on to a more skill-appropriate table. Online players can usually privilege the first seat, unless the blind rotates amongst the players. As the first seat, the player should strive to place bets that keep people in the game long enough but still betting at their highest levels.

For players new to the game, poker table seating should not be a priority. Only when they improve their skills at betting and reading the table should they seek out seats that best improve on those skills.