Mechanics of the Game: The Button
These “Mechanics of the Game” will attempt to explain just how the games are played both at a live table and on the internet. A poker room can be very mysterious the first time you sit down to play; knowing the basics will make your experience that much more enjoyable and profitable.
In all poker games with a blind structure there will be a “Button” or the “Dealer Button” this signifies which players will act in what order during the play of the hand. The blinds are put out in front of the button and the button rotates clockwise around the table, one spot each hand. The player with the button has a huge advantage during that hand. After the flop the button always acts last, which means the button will see all of the other players act before having to make a bet, raise or fold decision.
On the pre-flop round the button acts “nearly last”, as the blinds with their forced bets will act after the button. But the advantage to “acting last” for the blinds is tempered by the fact that in future rounds they act first. This leaves the button as the real strength position in every hand.
There are many more hands you can play from the button, simply because you will have seen the other players act first. Hands like AJ become playable, even raiseable, when you hold the button; where they might be easily folded in an early position on the same hand. There is even an unwritten rule that if you are the first player to act with the button, meaning everyone has folded before you; then first to act on the button, you must fold or raise. Calling in this situation is considered so extremely weak as to be a minor sin. A sin beginning players often make,
We will have lots more to say about playing from the button and from all the other starting positions in later posts. Remember now that the button is a position of extreme strength in every hand, so you should play with strength when you have the button.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #17
