Position questions..

Standard 10 seat table

1. If players leave the table, which positions have to be removed at first?

Ans: I think middle positions

2. When four of ten players have left the table, how many middle positions do we have at the table?

Ans: 1

you have to have the BTN, BB and SB leaving 3 other positions, possibly 2 early, 1 middle and the BTN is the only late position.

Standard 10 seat table - possible answers

1. If players leave the table, which positions have to be removed at first?

a) The early positions
b) The middle positions
c) The late positions


2. When four of ten players have left the table, how many middle positions do we have at the table?

a) 1
b) 2
c) 3

seriously?

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about...

...as long as you can identify who the player is throughout a hand and their position relative to the blinds / button, then it really doesn't matter if you call them EP3, UTG+2, MP1 or Roger the Shrubber

What?

Guys - this is a straight forward, general theory question based on the strategy of position - has no one ever considered this before.

I think I understand the query.

It has to do with the differences between a 10 handed game, and a 6 handed, 4 handed, HU, etc. I think this because most position strategy deals with number of players YET TO ACT, and the hand/card odds at any position.

I think you drop UTG, UTG+1, etc from your starting hand equations. The names will remain, but your strategy will shift.

So at a 6 handed game, you will have SB,BB, UTG, MP, CO, Button.

However the UTG might be playing hands that in a 10 handed game would be played from MP or CO.

This is something I have wondered about, and thought about, and have so far found no really good readings about. In your case you are wondering about the dynamics of a cash game table (at least I think you are), whereas in my case it would be for tourney related, and final table related thinking.

Similar concepts though.

DJ .. you are right on track..

but like you I play tournaments mainly..

can you explain why the early positions though..

Good discussion of short handed play in this article by Annie Duke. Note that not only can you consider yourself in late position (as if the first however many players had folded), but also, you need to loosen up even more to account for the faster rotation of the blinds.

I giggled.

Seriously, though, Oz is basically right. I'm not sure why you're asking, but if the reason has to do with being able to follow starting hands charts, then you'd be much much much better off thinking of positions as "number of seats off the button" instead of early, middle or late, as "middle" is relative, whereas "2 off the button" is always two off the button.

I think you remove the full table EP considerations because your position has to deal with players YET TO ACT after you.

As ag mentioned, add in the accelerated blind deterioration of your stack, and in 1st position you have to play it looser. More like late middle or the hijack seat.

At 6 handed, at any time you will only have to consider 5 hands perhaps besting you. Not 8 or 9 hands. This is of course greatly simplified.

Of importance might be how fast you realize the shift in strategies to a shorter handed game. The instant a players leaves the next hand is shorter handed. Until recently, I had not been aware enough of this fact to capitalize on it. I'm getting better and seldom will 3 hands play before I bring this fact to bear.

I have in the past posted desires to understand, on a sliding scale, the differences from a full table all the way through HU. 4 handed play for example is barely discussed anywhere. 3 and 5 the same. This is of course more important for tourney play, but many of the concepts are probably transferable to ring play.