Position in Poker
Position in poker, as you probably already know, is really important. Sam Braids, a noteworthy poker author, lists "Position" amongst five other criteria for making decisions about playing Texas Hold'em. These are his criteria - 1) your cards, 2) your position, 3) number of players, 4) pot
odds, and 5) opponent playing styles. All these criteria are important, individually and collectively. Each are worth studying on their own, or, as a part of a collective decision-making process that helps you with your game.
My point in showing you this list is to zero-in on where Braids places position in order of importance. It is number 2, second only to the hole cards you have been dealt. And, there is a reason for why position is number 2 rather than number 1, and that is simply that you must play cards "appropriate for your position." NOTE WELL: As Braids explains: "In an early position, you are forced throughout the hand to make decisions with the least amount of information. For example, if before the flop, you call the blind..., you could be faced with a raise from one or more players with premium pairs. Since you don’t know what raises you will be faced with, don’t play cards from an early position that are too weak ...."
In other words, (A) from an early position, play strong cards only because (B) you do not have on hand the information you need to otherwise engage because (C) early position players are blind to subsequent plays by players in middle or later positions. It follows therefore that (D) the later the position you play from the better because (E) it gives you more information with which to (F) make the most informed decisions about how your opponents are playing their cards and (G) how you can or cannot play those in your own hands.