The Button Prints Money -- And the Database Usually Shows It

Pull up a decent PLO database and filter by position. The exact numbers vary a lot by rake, stake, and game quality, but the pattern is usually the same: the button is your best seat, the blinds are your worst seats, and the spread is large.

That spread is one of the biggest structural edges in the game. In PLO, position is not a slight bonus. It is one of the main drivers of your long-term win rate.

Why PLO Amplifies Positional Advantage

Three structural features of PLO make position more valuable than in Hold'em:

The pot-limit cap prevents neutralizing position with big bets. In No-Limit Hold'em, an out-of-position player can shove all-in on the flop, eliminating the positional advantage for future streets. In PLO, you can only bet the pot, which means there are almost always multiple streets left to play. More streets means more decisions, and more decisions means more opportunities for the in-position player to exploit their informational edge.

Four hole cards create more marginal spots. With six two-card combinations per player, boards connect with more hands, creating more situations where the correct decision is close. The player who acts last has a massive advantage in these spots because they see their opponent's action before committing chips.

Equity realization depends on pot control. A hand with decent raw equity can realize badly out of position because it gets pushed off turns and rivers. The same hand in position often realizes much better because it can take free cards and control pot size.

Position by Seat: A Practical Breakdown

Under the gun (UTG): Play extremely tight. Only premium holdings -- double-suited aces, high connected rundowns like A♠K♠Q♥J♥. A hand like 9♠8♠7♥6♥ is a clear fold from UTG in a 6-max game, even though it is a strong hand on the button.

Middle position (MP): Open up slightly to include strong single-suited aces, connected broadway hands, and good rundowns. Quality still matters since players behind you can 3-bet with position.

Cutoff (CO): Your range expands significantly. Rundowns down to 7♠6♠5♥4♥, suited aces with modest side cards, and broadway hands with some connectivity all become playable opens.

Button (BTN): Your widest range. Connected, suited, and even some single-suited hands with decent structure are profitable opens. This is where you make your money.

Small blind and Big blind: The worst positions. From the small blind, most coaches recommend either 3-betting or folding -- calling is typically the worst option because you are out of position and the pot is still small.

A Hand That Shows Position in Action

You are on the button with T♠9♠8♥7♥. UTG opens to pot, two players call. You call -- a standard profitable spot with a double-suited rundown in position.

The flop comes J♣T♦4♠. UTG bets pot, both middle players call, action to you. You hold T♠9♠8♥7♥. Using 9♠8♥ from your hand with J♣T♦4♠ from the board gives you a pair of tens. But any Q, 8, or 7 completes a straight for you -- this is a large wrap with enough equity to continue aggressively against many one-pair hands.

Run this wrap against an overpair and see the equity. In position, you can flat the pot bet, see a favorable turn, and raise -- or see an unfavorable turn and release the hand cheaply.

An out-of-position player with this same draw faces a nightmare: check-raise and commit chips without knowing what is behind them, or check-call and give up the initiative? Position eliminates that guessing game.

Now consider the same hand on a dry board: J♣4♠2♥. You have middle pair and backdoor draws -- not enough to continue. Compare the equities on this texture: your wrap potential has vanished. In position, you fold quickly and cheaply. Out of position, you might have already check-called a bet before realizing you are drawing nearly dead.

Equity Realization: The Hidden Edge

Raw equity tells only half the story. Realized equity accounts for the fact that you will not always see all five cards.

In-position players consistently realize more than their raw equity, while blinds realize less. The exact percentages depend on format and assumptions, but the practical lesson is stable: similar raw equity hands perform very differently depending on who acts last.

A hand with lower raw equity in position can outperform a higher-equity hand out of position once you account for realization. That is how powerful position is in this game.

See this effect in action: a mid-range rundown versus kings on a board that slightly favors the rundown. The raw equity might be close, but in position, the rundown player controls the action -- checking back dry turns, potting favorable ones, and making disciplined folds on scary rivers.

Practical Rules for Positional Play

  1. Fold more hands from early positions than you think you should. If a hand seems "pretty good" from UTG, wait for the button.

  2. 3-bet or fold from the small blind. Calling from the worst position is a slow bleed.

  3. Widen your opening range on the button aggressively. Hands like J♠9♠7♥6♥ or K♠T♠8♣7♣ are profitable opens from the button but clear folds from earlier positions.

  4. Use position to take free cards. Check back the flop in position when the board does not favor your opponent's range. This is how position lets you realize equity that would be lost out of position.

  5. Bet thinner for value in position. You see your opponent's check (sign of weakness) before deciding whether to value bet on the river -- extracting thin value that would be impossible out of position.

FAQ

How much tighter should I play from the blinds compared to the button? Much tighter. The button is where you can profitably open many marginal-but-playable structures; the blinds are where those same hands become folds or occasional 3-bets. Adjust based on table dynamics and your opponents' tendencies.

Is position more important at deep stacks or short stacks? Deep stacks amplify the positional advantage because more chips behind means more streets of play and more decisions where position matters. At very short stacks (under 25 big blinds), position matters less because the hand is often decided on the flop with a single bet.

Should I ever cold-call a 3-bet out of position? Very rarely. Cold-calling a 3-bet from the blinds puts you in a bloated pot, out of position, against a strong range. You need double-suited aces with connectivity to make this profitable. Most hands should either 4-bet or fold facing a 3-bet when out of position. Study common mistakes in these spots to avoid this leak.