Why is draw poker said to be positional?

[Julio88]

Draw poker is said to be positional because the order in which players act can greatly affect their decisions and strategies. In draw poker, each player is dealt a complete hand and then has the opportunity to discard some or all of their cards and receive replacements from the deck. The position of a player, or where they are sitting in relation to the dealer, determines when they are required to act and how much information they have about the other players' hands. For example, a player who is in early position, meaning they are one of the first to act, may choose to discard only one or two cards if they have a strong hand. This is because they do not have much information about what other players may be holding and do not want to risk discarding too many cards and ending up with a weaker hand. On the other hand, a player in late position, meaning they are one of the last to act, may choose to discard more cards because they have more information about what other players may be holding based on their previous actions.Additionally, the position of a player can affect how aggressively they choose to play their hand. A player in early position may choose to play more cautiously and only bet if they have a strong hand, while a player in late position may choose to place a larger bet or even bluff if they sense weakness from their opponents. Overall, in draw poker, the position of a player plays a significant role in their decision-making process, making it a positional game

 

[CR7]

. This is in contrast to some other forms of poker, such as seven-card stud, where players receive cards one at a time and their position is not as significant. In draw poker, there is also the added factor of the number of players at the table, as the more players there are, the more important it is to be in late position to gain more information before making a decision. In summary, draw poker is said to be a positional game because of the significant impact that a player's position has on their decision-making process and overall strategy.