Suited connectors in Heads-up

Wazzupguyz!
I just want to ask if suited connectors like 45s, 56s, 67s, 78s, 89s and 9-10s cards are playable in a heads-up poker(tournament and ring cash games) or what are your strategies with this kind of hole cards when it comes to heads-up? Do you go all-in without waiting for the flop or discard this hole cards and prefer playing premium cards, mediocre cards and any pocket pairs in heads-up?

i played them slow, just calling if im on sb, then i will wait for the flop and if i have a flush or color project then i will bet and then if the turn doesnt help me, i will just check- call... it also depends on the style of your opponent if he is loose you should be tight and wait for a good flop to take his chips, and if he is tight then you could be more aggresive, also with these type of hands...

Because suited connectors are drawing hands as a general rule they decrease in value as the game gets shorter. For example it can be highly profitable to see a cheap flop with 45s in position in a 10 handed game when a few other people have entered the pot. If you hit the correct flop the pay off can be huge compared to thi initial outlay. This compensates for the majority of times that you will miss the flop completely.

As the game gets shorter thier value decreases and the the value o pairs and high cards increases. When the game reaches heads up then suited connectors have little value as it will be extremely difficult for you to hit a favourable flop where you will be paid by your opponent. Especially as the cost of entering a pot by this stage is a sizable chunk of your chipstack. It is much better to play your high cards when HU in a tourney.

Any two cards are playable HU...

27o on the button is usually a raising hand here so yeah, SC are playable.

Depends from my stack. If it equal with villian - slow play, 1BB raise/call maybe. If my stack twice less, so possible all-in. If twice more, check/fold.

Heads up is a tricky thing in general the card value drops to like 60% so basically any hand is a possible winner. Heads up is really more about psychology then about cards. Some would say that poker in general is very psychological and they would be correct. But in heads up psychology just jumps to another level imo

I would raise any thing 78s and above around 3 times the big blind. And then J10s up above maybe 5 times. But this is depended on the person your playing and there style!

But any 2 cards are good HU... some else has already said that!!

all depending on your chip stack versus your opponent. but i tend to raise almost anything in heads up play. so i think any suited connector would definetly be a raise situation. wait for the flop then bluff the highest card on board and if your opponent calls or goes all in be weary

yeah, i 3bet with suited connectors and stuff

I agree with zach, any two cards are playable in HU (especially when on the button). I would definately raise on the button with suited connectors, or even call a 3xbb with them. I would do the same with 1 gappers (J9s, Q10s, etc).
In HU, my philosophy is your betting that your opponent hasn't hit the flop, not neccessary that you have. which is probally about 80% of the time he will miss. IMO

I'd 3bet with them more often then I'd flat calling. Callings the worst option

You can play any two. Trying to see the flop with no raises is the best.

In heads-up suited connectors,Ax,premium cards and any pocket pairs preflop reaz.Further I play from a board and from the opponent.

Thats interesting...The only time I would ever 3-bet preflop is with AA, or KK, maybe QQ. Never even considered 3-bet with suited connectors. I'm sure thats a huge hole in my game.

Just curious, why is calling so bad? Are you saying either 3-bet or fold?

Yes any 2 are playable, yes SCs are good depending on a huge number of factors... but essentially its tru that drawing hands decrease in +EV as fields get smaller.

That having been said, it was hilarious watching Gavin Smith blow Phil Gordon out in round one of a WSOP HU game, when he called all in w 10 6o and busted Phils AA with a str8 on the river...

I'm still working on my heads up game. So, can't really give you much advise.

But, in heads up, it is show time. I tend to go very agressive at HU. And, hope. LMAO.

Good luck,

mange

"Suited connectors like 45s, 56s, 67s, 78s, 89s and 9-10s"

Heads up:

Any two cards are playable.
Suited connectors would not be my choice in heads up.
Suited connectors earn there keep in full table play.
Not Heads up.


Just my thoughts.

I'm not saying Calling is absolutely terrible, but I think its worse than 3betting imo depending on who youre playing. By just calling (esp OOP) youre putting yourself in a kinda bad spot. By just calling you've left yourself with not so much information regarding the villians hand, and what do you do when he fires the flop? Call=? raise? Does he fire multiple barrels with air? etc etc i think you get the point. Overall calling just puts you in a bad spot.


I'm very very aggro in HU. Lets say youre only 3betting 5% of your range, in HU thats super obvious. Are you raising every button? It seems since youre def. not 3betting as much as you should that you're probably not raising as much as you should from the button also. I raise pretty much every button (unless my opponent adjusts) and play my position pretty aggressively. HU is all about adjusting to the player, if the player is going to let me run over them, than I will. If the player starts 3betting me and adjusting, than I adjust


In HU you gotta mix up your game, and you cant play really ABC. (At least against good opponents).

^Youre incorrect here. Suited Connectors def. have their keep in HU play. I play them pretty strongly

What he said.

No need to be bellicose
Not incorrect at all. Connectors and baby pockets are most EV in full ring. But gauging EV HU is of course a matter of many variables.

I was referring to the fact that he said suited connectors do not have their keep in HU play. He is wrong in that statement. yes i know theyre most ev in full ring

If you think of EV as a curve compared to number of players it probably goes down then up as players lessen.

10 handed they're great, 5 or 6 players not so good, heads-up they're valuable again.

Heads-up any hand that connects in some way is a big hand. Think about how often your opponent will get better, most hands will be Q4 and such so they do have value, especially suited.

like everything else its HU is situational. you are always in a blind. SCs should be played with caution but played. Use caution with small SCs against an aggresive player.
By the way I am back.....did yall miss me??

pretty sure my post covers for the most part how connectors should be played

Completely it do not agree.

Yes we did cowboy, but u better not stay away too long, all these newbies will come up not knowing who Cowboy is...

Good advice overall. Ferguson advises raising some 80% of the time SB (basically almost any 2 cards).

Yes they gain something HU in that sense, but when I discuss EV I am talking the number of people you can stack if you hit, so most chip value at full ring. But also value HU because you can win the match if you catch... I like the EV as curve idea...

Thanks guys for your tips and advises(",)I'm really learning a lot just by reading all of your replies. Heads-up poker is really different because you can now play a lot of hands; and any 2 hole cards in heads-up is playable and with suited connectors I have to play it cautiously as the game goes on. Once again thank you sooo much guys(",)and have a great poker day!