Before the flop:
If no one contests the pot pre-flop, Sitting around thinking about what to do with the lottery dollars that you might win, is silly. Use the pot to build up your position in the tournament, which might lead to a quick exit when you are left alone with the only semi-hardcore opponents.
When you see no one contests the pot:
You are in the dealer’s seat and everyone’s just sitting there staring at the cards as if they were still there. nervously scratching the felt surface should tell you that they are not there. It is your turn and, instead of waiting for some other player to act, you are acting. This means that you are in early position, which means you are one of the first to act.
Why are the first to act?
If you are in early position and no one has entered the pot yet, it means that you are the first to act. This is a very powerful position because you can programmers your own odds to your favor.
Why are the last to act?
If you are in late position and no one has entered the pot, it means that you are the last to act. This is a very poor position to be in. You are out of position and at a disadvantage. You need a better hand than you are starting out with to play against the players after you.
Why does it matter what position you are in?
If you are in early position, you need to see more flops. You are less likely to connect with these flops so you need to play more pots. You will connect more often with good hands and be in position to so do the players behind you. Why? because if you are in early position when you hit the flop with a good hand, you are a player that can potentially win the pot.
If you are in late position, you need to limit the pots you play and especially in position. You are in better position to win the pot when you play a pot because you already have information about the players in the hand.
Early position is the best position to be in post-flop when you play a pot, even if you don’t have a good hand. If you try for a straight, and it doesn’t hit, nothing happens to you, people who would have folded, and now you are stuck and don’t know what to do. You are in early position, so unless you have a monster, or you are sure you are enough to take the pot, not many will call.
In middle position, you still need to play more hands, but you can loosen up a little. If you are in late position, and no one has raised in front of you, and you have a good drawing hand, yes, you should play it, especially if no one else has played it. Why? Because you will have the added chance of taking the pot into your column.
Late position on the other hand, you have to be tighter. You already have information on the players in the hand, and if you play it right, you can take the pot there and then. If you flop a set and you are in late position, the best decision you can make is to check it to build a pot. Players in late position, have to make a decision on their hand, and commonly call.
No matter what position you are in, you should be shoving a wide range of hands, playing from all positions. Play tight in early position, and loosen up in late position. Play tight in early position, and loosen up in late position. Play tight in early position, and loosen up in late position. Think about which players in the hand you want to be against, and play accordingly.
In summation, my position tips for MPO777 can be summed up in two words: you need to get to the money as fast as possible. Play aggressively in the early positions and loosen up in the late positions.