Connect your Suited Connectors

I was reading an article by Daniel Negreanu about suited connectors and how to use them to your advantage. The article explains that if you're holding small-suited connectors and for a relatively small percentage of your stack you can stay in to see the flop, there are several benefits:

If you happen to get lucky with that 7-8 of clubs and hit a flop like 4-5-6 or 8-7-3, you'll often trap an opponent with an overpair. It also adds unpredictability to your game thus it makes it much more difficult for your adversaries to get a read on you.

You can also bluff more. If your opponents catch on to the fact that you play all sorts of funny cards, you'll be able to bluff them on the flop when you don't improve your hand.

For example, if you played a hand like QJ suited, and the flop came 4-5-6, you could still win this pot. Your opponents may fear that you are playing the little cards again and flopped two pair or maybe even a straight. If they have Big Slick they might throw it in the muck.

The article stated as well that it recoomends you throw out some small raises with them from time to time. Playerswon't be able to tell if you have AA, AQ or 6-8 of diamonds. Mixing up your play, by throwing in the occasional raise with relatively weak-suited connectors, will go a long way toward making you a dangerous and tricky player. That's exactly the type of player that you want to be and that most people fear.

When is it a good time to use the stragedy? Well, there are some things to consider;

- Your stack size. On a short stack, you need to avoid these hands and look for cards that are higher in rank.

- The size of the bet. You can't call raises with suited connectors if the size of the bet is too big a percentage of your stack. You only want to invest only a small percentage of your stack with these hands.

- If you don't hit the flop, fold. These are tricky hands to play, and if you don't improve with a good flop, you need to dump the hand and move on. You'll get other chances later.

I think this a good stragedy to try out even now and then, especially if your not getting good hands. You need to make a move at some point. What do you think of this stragedy?

Hi

Great post, need more like this.

I also note that Gus Hanson likes to play this way too he calls it low balling. Which when you look into a bit more has a good chance to work.
Every one know the value of the higher ranks so if your have a few limppers into the pot I like to play the low cards from SS or BB as with few to act after you can get in @ the cheap price you talk about. Hopfully the limpper have holdings like KJ TJ QK and fighting over hitting the same high cards.

But as stated this is a fit or fold hand, so play from time to time and have fun with them.

If they have Big Slick they might throw it in the muck

If they do have Big Slick, they would have made a pre-flop raise and you are going to hope that you hit with 7-8?

Why waste chips/money on a very very marginal hand?

To me this is a very important part of me playing tournaments. When i have the chips to afford it, I usually call raises with these hands. Why you may ask ? simple, when someone raises, he is stating, "I have a big hand" ( unless his a maniac or me ) so why would i call with a semi big hand ? for example i hold AQ suited, UTG raises , someone re-raises , i see many players calling in this situation, with is the worse you can do, your problably beat, and you risk a raise from UTG. Anyways back to the small cards, If someone raises in early position , and gets a caller and im in late position and i got the chips to tango a little, i will make that call with hands like 7♦8♦, 5♠6♣ . When you see a flop with low cards, people with high pocket pair and maybe high cards A♦K♥ , will most likely fire, and those little cards that paired , or floped 2 pair , are really good to trap and make a lot of money . Only time when you wont get payed a lot , is when playing a pro who understands this situation, but against those who cant lay down AA, this is a money making mine .

Hi

If you look at what I talked about, you will see the word limppers. Yes you are right they got a big hand and have raised it up, then you don't play the cards, however with a few limppers you in late postion the pot a nice size sure call take a look. You might even enjoy it .

however with a few limppers you in late postion the pot a nice size sure call take a look. You might even enjoy it

Yes and ask yourself how many times you've enjoyed it compared to how many times you've wasted chips.
Lets just for sake of keeping it simple.. You play 10 hands and out of those 10 you are in late position with these cards. You limp like you suggest, yet now you must act on hope and a prayer. So now you've committed a portion of your chips. Then bang, you now have a premium hand to fight with right behind those 10 hands. You now raise.. ooh wait a minute if you raise you now have to push more in because the normal pre-flop raise takes 1/4 to half your stack. Now when this happens and you get 1-2 callers, there isn't much you can do to make a stand here but go all-in.

Now if you had saved those chips you wasted on limping in.. you now have more ammo if you wish to work with.

A bet saved is a bet earned which can be used later on with the more important hands.

I like playing suited connectors.I'm not saying I will play heavily with them or anything but they have been very lucky for me more times than not. Gus Hansen not only plays connectors, he plays anything! I watched him call an all in bet because " I've got 10 high, I have to call you" LOL

Hi twizzybop

Think you got me wrong, I don't play these hands, I don't have the skill. However I know there value and was justed adding to what t1riel was saying in the starting thread.

I like what PNL has to say tools not rules.

To look @ what we have so far, I found a great site that lists the expected value of ever starting hand and then looks @ it by position too.
So lets look @ 87s over 348,348 hands yes its a losser but only justed @ -0.02 so that musted mean it won some times. Now looking @ this hand by position, yes it's the small losser in 8 out of the 10 positions, however very funny is where it was a winner. It wins on the button, easy to see why you have seen the limppers, and get to act last after the flop. The other position 87s is a winner is UTG, now that blows me and you out the water, no idea how you make that hand a winner UTG.

Occasional I play low cards suited or not if it's small buy-in just to get a foot in the door. If it looks good I stay if not I'm gone,think it depends on how many call etc. It's poker you just never know.