terminology

[Empress]

There are 2 terms that I hear all the time but what does it mean:

Playing/betting out of position. I've heard this is unfavorable to do - why? Position from the button?

On the bubble. Is this also referring to the button?

 

[mtl mile end]

"Playing out of Position" (OOP) means that the opponents in the hand are acting after you. So whoever is the first player to act is playing OOP. Preflop, "Under the Gun" is OOP to everyone on the table. The Button is ultimately in position against all other players, but has to act before the Blinds PreFlop. The Blinds, while getting to act second to last and last PreFlop, will be OOP after the Flop if they are still live. Once players see a Flop, relative position will not change among remaining players. In other words if the Small Blind plays after the Flop, he/she will always be OOP to every player in the hand. First to act is OOP to everyone else, second to act is OOP to everyone but first to act, etc.
"On the Bubble" refers to the "money bubble". In any poker tournament, the number of payouts will be "X". As the number of remaining runners in the tournament approaches X, the tournament is "approaching the bubble". The bubble bursts when the last person NOT to cash busts out. You don't want to be the person to finish X+1, the last person to bust without cashing. This is the "Bubble Boy" (or girl).

 

[Empress]

Ahhh! Now I understand the bubble! Thank you!

Now about "playing out of position" -- why is it unfavorable? Or why do you hear someone complain that another player "played out of position"? I thought it was like bad form/bad manners.

 

[lsbenn]

I think you are asking to about 2 different things here.

Playing out of position makes you vulnerable and it is harder to control the pot. Most likely you will be the first to act after the flop and that can have a lot of disadvantages.

The other question I think you are asking about is:
Players acting out of turn? Yes this is bad manners at the poker table
When players act out of turn it gives information to other players knowing this player is either folding, calling , or maybe raising.
Say you raised out of turn before 2 players acted? They now know you were going to raise so they might fold instead of calling.

 

[mtl mile end]

Ahhh! Now I understand the bubble! Thank you!

Now about "playing out of position" -- why is it unfavorable? Or why do you hear someone complain that another player "played out of position"? I thought it was like bad form/bad manners.

It's not bad form, just generally more difficult. It's usually easier to act In Position (after another player). You, at that point, know what they have done (without having known what you are about to do) and can exploit that edge. It is possible to exploit being OOP, but it's a little less sure and more read dependent since you don't know what they may do. Generally speaking, you have an advantage on the people to your right, and a disadvantage against those on your left. Remember chips naturally flow clockwise around the table.

 

[frnandoh]

Playing in position is a advantage because is possible to know how the opponent act before your turn. Playing OOP is harder to play because villains can use some more information against that one.

 

[Ian the Fish]

Ahhh! Now I understand the bubble! Thank you!

Now about "playing out of position" -- why is it unfavorable? Or why do you hear someone complain that another player "played out of position"? I thought it was like bad form/bad manners.

I can tell you, sweety, that this would be the list of the most important aspects in poker, listed from the most to the least important:

1) Position. You get much more information about other players' ranges and tendencies by playing in position, as opposed to playing out of position.

2) Skill. When you know what you are doing at the table and have a plan vs. different types of players, you will manage to outplay them more often than not.

3) Cards. The least important is your holding. That is because when you do get to showdown (which happens much less than the pot ending prior to someone calling a river bet / checking on the river), it is important that you hold better cards than your opponent (obvious reasons).

It is important to understand that as you grow as a player, the position and skill overtake the importance of your cards. At lower levels you can win by just being patient and playing strong holdings, however, as you move up the stakes, players get more creative and play out-of-the-box poker, which requires skill and position.

 

[MrPokerVerse]

Closer to the the button the better. You can get away with more in late position. Have less people to act after you bet.

Bubbling always sucks with large field MTT's. Like you just wasted 6 to 8 hours of you're life.