Online poker essentials - how to understand the button, blinds and position.

Even though you can’t watch your opponents’ faces with online poker (yet…), being last player to act is still a huge advantage. You get to see how everyone else is betting before you make any decisions - a great position to be in.

Because of this, players used to take turns at dealing the cards. After each hand the deck was passed to the left, along with something to remind everyone whose turn it was to deal. (Back in the good ol’ days they used buck-knives and silver dollars - hence the phrase, passing the buck.)

Now we use the Dealer Button, normally a large plastic paperweight - or small blob of pixels for online poker - with the letter D on it. Obviously, like pampered high rollers in Las Vegas, online poker players never have to actually shuffle up and deal - it’s all taken care of, sir. (They never have to tip an online poker dealer either...) But as far as the game is concerned, the player with the button is still holding the deck.

That means the player on the button receives their cards last. Card games traditionally go clockwise around a table and the same applies to online poker; the player to the left of the dealer goes first. Remember how acting last is a great position to be in? The button is the best position. Wait for it, make use of it and don’t make the classic online poker mistake of ‘playing out of position’ - sticking the chips in with an average hand when most of the table is still to act. You have no idea what you’re up against and may as well be playing blind - talking of which…

The blinds are forced bets to ensure every hand has some action. The first player to get their cards must post the small blind, and the second player must post the big blind (double the small blind). Then the hole cards are dealt. Because players one and two have already been forced to bet, player three clicks the first mouse in any hand of online poker. The action then continues all the way round to the button.

However, the blinds are still given the chance to bet for real (it’s only fair, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to call any raise) so in this round only they act last, after the button. From then on they really are players one and two again. When the flop, turn and river cards hit the table, the blinds will be acting first and second - and the button will have the last word.

Remember; online poker doesn’t hide the most obvious tell of all: a big, fat bet. Tread carefully out of position because the last player to act could always have a monster hand. Have patience and that player will be you.