Tip #24 - Don't ignore position when playing drawing hands

Position is crucial in poker, and this is especially true when playing drawing hands. Many players focus solely on their pot odds and implied odds when deciding whether to play a draw, but position can be just as important. Playing drawing hands out of position can lead to missed value when you hit and bigger losses when you miss.

Problems with playing draws out of position:

• Harder to control the size of the pot
• Can't use position to win without hitting your draw
• More difficult to extract value when you hit
• Opponents can control the betting when you check to them
• More likely to face raises that make continuing unprofitable

Advantages of playing draws in position:

• Can see what opponents do before acting
• Better able to control pot size
• Can win pots without hitting by betting when checked to
• More opportunities for semi-bluffing
• Better able to extract value when you hit your draw

Guidelines for playing drawing hands:

• Be more selective with draws when out of position
• Consider raising with draws in position to build pots
• Use position to help determine whether to call or raise
• Factor position into your implied odds calculations
• Be more willing to semi-bluff when in position

Remember that position is a powerful weapon in poker, and it becomes even more important with speculative hands like draws. A drawing hand that's profitable to play in position might be unprofitable out of position. Always consider your position relative to the other players when deciding whether to play a drawing hand.