Suited connectors overrated?

After having read Brunson's Super System, I began playing suited connectors much more often and much more aggressively with disastrous results. I prefer to bet with this holding rather than check or call. When the flop misses me (which it usually does), I follow through with a continuation bet but rarely seem to pick up the pot. Is my approach flawed or is this hand just overrated? Return thoughts welcome.

Thanks,

TheHoag57

I really should'nt give away one of my style tips, but im going to help you out with my opinion. some suited is ok, heres something I say to remind myself: "If it's suited and within 3?..then it's for me" Example: K8 SUCKS...K9 AWESOME!

well it all depends how good are running at the table, if your image is a fish then most likely suited connector is not gonna turn oh well, then as too if your tight, you have a better chance at getting better flop, gl, to me be patience, tahts what these site idol is, calling 50% of your hand b4 first break, is not gonna get you no where believe me.

Not exactly the right forum, but hopefully a mod will move it. Basically you want to play your suited connectors when your getting great implied odds, eg against a big stack. That means that the times you miss and have to fold will be far surpassed by the times you hit and take a stack. Dont get tricky and play these when you flop a lone pair, you wanting to hit two pair or better at the very least before you start committing mroe chips post flop.

How is K9 a suited connector? LOL.

You play pokah???

I like to see flops with s-c's, but i see more people over play them all the time. They are great to win a large pot with the right flop. they can also cost you a decent pot if you hit a piece of the flop.

I only play high suited connectors (lets say 9 10 or up) so I have a chance of color, straight and or high pair.
Try to cover all angels and know to fold if you hit nothing on the flop.

ok I was toned when I wrote that. haha! Im going to go out on a limb here and invent a new poker term. ready for this?...wait for it....wait for it...("Suited connectables") haha!...Im such a moron. next week: "pocket kings suited"

LOL!
This reminds me of a famous Poker joke (I remember most of it not the details) - People asked some professional poker players - "How do you know when you are too tired to play?"
One answered - I know I am too tired to play if I see 3 Aces on the table and I hold a pair of Aces in my hand

I play almost all suited connectors... If you had disastrous results you might have been playing them badly...

First of all If I don't hit on the flop I almsot always fold, unless there's a small bet. Remember you are drawing not your opponent. Also, remember to calculate your pot odds...implied odds and such...

Secondly, if you hit a hand with suited connectors you have to bust out your opponent(s)... it happens everytime (ok, almost) when I hit with suited connectors...

Cheers !

Playing suited connectors or unsuited connectors requires playing small ball poker. See Daniel Negreanu for explanation. And peeps in some circles any cards that can connect to a str8 are considered connectors.

either ur playing them badly or playing at levels that dont recognise the play

MrM beat me to it.....Small Ball.

Find DN's YouTube on Small Ball. This doesn't necessarily say to limp with sc's, but it does stress that you don't want to be continuing without something significant having happened on the flop. This could include a particular read you get at the moment, or the texture of the flop obviously missing you, but probably missing villain as well. You should also understand that playing it well is and advanced concept, and is built on being able to be a true TAG.

You can't get married to sc's, if the flop don't fit, feign innocence and fold. Your big trouble will start the instant you start chasing with sc's.

With suited connectors you should generally call only in late position when its not raised. If the pot is raised you should never call, especially when it has callers and also when acting early or middle. Overall flat calling suited connectors is very weak and will most likely result in you "leaking chips" or bleeding chips" meaning your just throwing them away on rubbish cards.

The only suited connectors i play are AK, KQ, QJ, J10 and J9. However if i am a very low stack compared to the average stack in the tourny i will resort to pushing all in with a suited hand that is close together
e.g
J8, K9, 97 etc. (I won't list the obvious!)

It may sound odd but if you have 97 suited for example and push all in because you are getting low and come up against AK you are still "live" so can still win. Flushes, Straights, Pairs etc.

RK

I try not to invest too much 2-3 bets max to see flop mid position on... Then caution!! Even then only if my blind multiple is HIGH!!

Peace
FlowJoe

Exactly, K9 are suited STRAIGHT cards not suited CONNECTORS.

Suited connectors are not a very good hand in tournys. They are a semi bluff PF to try to steal blinds and have a shot at hitting something in case you get called.

In cash games they are pretty important. However most people overplay them. There are so many suited connectors and one gappers you cannot play them all. They are good for diversifying play and becomming harder to read, but do not play them everytime simply because there are more SC than good hands, good players will pick up on this and take a lot of money.

im addicted to suited connectors and suited gappers cant help myself. If i can get in cheap or call a small raise with em i will and they do wonders on the flop.

No, suited connectors are NOT overrated, you just have to know when the right time to play them is. I play them sometimes depending on position & how many players are already in the hand but fold every time when out of position.

In all honesty, I rarely hit with suited connectors. I've never hit a straight flush. and I rarely hit a straight with suited connectors that are below 10 J. It's very odd. Play them cautiously but raising is not a bad idea!

That's true, table image does make a huge difference. When running bad and appeariing desperate, this is a much lower percentage play.

Thanks

Thanks for the input. Being more selective post flop is at least a part of my problem. I tend to get too "tricky" as you say and wind up losing a good chunk of chips. Good advice.

I know I'm playing them badly, I'm the one losing all those chips!!! LOL!

I'm copying and saving some of these responses for reference as I play. This is one I'll be saving.

Thanks very much.

You're experience and mine are about the same. A no doubt negative return.

Thanks to all for taking the time to post. You gave me a lot to think about and some perspectives that I hadn't thought of. Best of luck at the tables.

TheHoag57

I like suited connectors just don't wanna make a bad habit of playing all suited, that'll get ya into trouble.

Suited connectors are trash. Brunson's take on them is from a very specific type of game and under very specific conditions.

If you're going to see a cheap multi-way pot (3+ limpers) then go ahead and take a look. If the pot has been raised and there's any other actions then it's time to muck.

If a tight player makes a small/standard raise and you can play him heads up in position then you might take a shot. You're hoping that he has Aces (or another big hand) and that he'll over play it.

For example, tight player raises 3xBB with AA. Folded to you on the button with 57s, you call. Flop comes down Q64 with two of your suit, or 857, or 864 rainbow. AA is in some trouble and you have a chance to get his whole stack.

Gotcha. Your example is exactly this situation I always hope to be in but rarely seems to happen. Overall, I think they represent a bad ROI when played with any regularity. Thanks for the input.

It doesn't have to hit that often to be profitable. Just remember to not invest too much in it. If you lose 3BB 5 times and then win 20BB when you hit it, it's still +EV.

The problem is when you play them too often for too big a raise and refuse to give them up when you flop middle pair, etc.

i only play them when theres alot of people in pot and im in late position ( only is a reletive word )

best advice i ever heard from dolly about online poker was to play the nuts and everything close to it but not much else. in other words use the position but be selective and know that folding is just as good as winning a pot sometimes. gl and play on.

Just watched Daniel's video on you tube and it was really a great learn. Thanks for the tip MrMuckets!

[quote=iluvdahate;900863]best advice i ever heard from dolly about online poker was to play the nuts and everything close to it but not much else. in other words use the position but be selective and know that folding is just as good as winning a pot sometimes. gl and play on.


[Good advice. If you think about poker as one, long, continuous game, your philosophy is hard to argue with. Thanks for sharing.]