Poker Strategy Coaching
🃏 Poker Strategy – Session 3
By: Hal Coblentz- Semi-Professional Cash Game Player 20+ years
Position Is Power: Playing Fewer Hands, Winning Bigger Pots
Session 3 Focus
If there’s one concept I wish every player truly understood early, it’s this:
Position is everything.
I don’t care how pretty your cards look—if you’re out of position, you’re fighting an uphill battle. This week, I want you to start winning before the flop by simply choosing better spots based on where you’re sitting at the table.
🔁 What Position Really Means
Position is about who acts last on every betting street.
- Early Position (EP): Under the Gun (UTG, UTG+1)
- Middle Position (MP): The bridge between danger and opportunity
- Late Position (LP): Cutoff (CO) and Button (BTN)
- Blinds: Worst seats post-flop, period
The later you act, the more information you have—and information wins money.
🎯 My Core Rule
I play fewer hands early, more hands late, and aggressively protect my late position.
If you apply just that rule consistently, your win rate improves immediately.
📊 Preflop Hand Selection by Position (Live Games)
Early Position (Tight & Disciplined)
Hands I’m opening:
- AA–TT
- AK, AQ (sometimes AJs)
- KQs
Hands I’m not opening:
- Small pairs (unless table is passive)
- Suited connectors
- Weak aces
Early position mistakes are expensive because you’ll be first to act every street.
Middle Position (Controlled Expansion)
Hands I add:
- 99–77
- AJs–ATs
- KQs, QJs
- Occasional suited connectors (98s+)
I’m still cautious, but now I can observe how tight or loose the table really is.
Late Position (Where I Make My Money)
Hands I add:
- Any pocket pair
- Most suited aces
- Broadways
- Suited connectors & one-gappers
- Occasional steals with blockers
On the button, I’m not just playing cards—I’m attacking ranges.
🧠 Hand Example #1 – Cash Game ($1/$3)
I’m on the Button with A♠9♠.
Two limpers ahead of me.
This is a mandatory raise.
Why?
- I have position
- I isolate weaker players
- I control pot size
- I can steal later streets
I raise to $20.
Blinds fold. One limper calls.
Flop: K♠7♠2♦
This hand prints money because:
- I have position
- Nut flush draw
- Fold equity
I continuation bet, knowing I can win the pot now or later.
🧠 Hand Example #2 – Tournament Spot
Middle stages of a tournament.
I’m in Early Position with K♦J♦.
This is a fold for me.
Same hand on the Button?
It’s a raise or even a 3-bet depending on stacks.
Same cards. Different position. Completely different strategy.
⚠️ Common Position Mistakes I See
- Limping early with speculative hands
- Calling raises out of position “to see a flop”
- Playing the same range from every seat
- Ignoring the button’s power
If you’re losing money, odds are you’re overplaying hands from bad seats.
🔥 Session 3 Assignment
For the next week:
- Track how many hands you play from early position
- Open wider only from the button and cutoff
- Avoid calling raises out of position
- Raise more—don’t limp late
You don’t need better cards.
You need better seats.
🎙️ Final Thought
Great poker players don’t just play hands—they play positions, people, and pressure.
Once you respect position, the game slows down, decisions get clearer, and your bankroll lasts longer.
Next session, I’ll break down bet sizing and why most players bet too small when it matters most.
— Hal
TexasHoldemRadio.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
