Advice on playing suited connectors in MTT

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flincGO

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Hi guys,

I am a beginning player, and really don't know how to approach mid-late stage MTT play of suited connectors. Throughout the tournaments I usually maintain an average to slightly short stack (~10BB), and because of this will usually only see a flop with connectors like 78s or 9Ts if I'm BB and nobody has raised. Does anyone have advice re: correct play?
 
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cotta777

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Hi guys,

I am a beginning player, and really don't know how to approach mid-late stage MTT play of suited connectors. Throughout the tournaments I usually maintain an average to slightly short stack (~10BB), and because of this will usually only see a flop with connectors like 78s or 9Ts if I'm BB and nobody has raised. Does anyone have advice re: correct play?


The best option is to fold out of position and raise in late position but most importantly be observant of the table,

Personally I fold alot of suited connectors in marginal spots if im likely to get called or played back at because they dont fare well against opponents calling range post flop, however... Q10s+ I will play aswell. hands like T9s and 108 I will call in late position also : )

with regards to your stack often being 10BB or less dont be scared to get you chips in if you need too.
Unless a player is hyper lag style and has strong post flop analysis its extremely hard to go all the way.
I was always taught its better to double up early in a big mtt than to play cautiously and end up dwindling away and getting it in late.
You will ofcourse loss some flips but long term you should reach alot more final tables
 
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flincGO

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Thanks cotta777, I appreciate the input. Like most beginners I currently play a pretty solid tight, mostly preflop strategy, which has been a winning one, but only by a very small margin. I am looking to improve and increase my ROI.
 
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cotta777

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np, you sound like your on the right path,
What site do you play at?

if you play mtts I recommend titan and 888
my ROI is treble my pokerstars Return I find the fields alot smaller and also weaker
 
etherghost

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np, you sound like your on the right path,
What site do you play at?

if you play mtts I recommend titan and 888
my ROI is treble my pokerstars Return I find the fields alot smaller and also weaker

I totally agree. You get too many loose aggressive players at PT (especially in microstakes) who donk a lot of chips early in the tournament and then bully short stacks. That's why it's difficult to see flops with speculative hands. If you don't get a monster you usually have to take HIGH risks with those hands which is not the best poker strategy.
 
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flincGO

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Currently I play mostly at Bovada (the anonymity sucks), but I also recently started playing on Black Chip. I've been getting some coaching from a buddy of mine who's a reg based in Costa Rica. I'm US based, so my options are limited, but I've been told the same things about 888 by others too. Who knows, Costa Rica some day?
 
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flincGO

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I totally agree. You get too many loose aggressive players at PT (especially in microstakes) who donk a lot of chips early in the tournament and then bully short stacks. That's why it's difficult to see flops with speculative hands. If you don't get a monster you usually have to take HIGH risks with those hands which is not the best poker strategy.

Yeah, because my roll currently only allows micros (I do play some 10$ tourneys when I score tickets, and I've cashed more times than not, but just over the bubble), I run into a lot of people who amass chips by donk bets and then beat me up with their larger stack size. Because of that I rarely ever get to play connectors.

But it does go my way often enough too, so I can't really complain too much. :)
 
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lost2qandisa

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I like to play suited connectors if I can cheap and I have a big enough stack to be able to fold. I will call and see what hits. If I have not chance of making a hand. I fold. I am not sure this is correct play but in micros, it seems to work a lot for me. At micro level, people just don't expect you to be holding a hand like that.
 
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LFC18505

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Don't play as if it's normal to have 10bb would be my advice. If you have 67s or similar in utg+5 on 10 seater with 10-15bb open shove most times depending on stack sizes and table dynamic. Something that sticks in my mind was a very good MTT player explaining to me the benefit of playing LAG - "you are basically trying to push and prod them into putting 40bb in with middle pair on a dry board". Most top MTT players will not be on 10bb for long.
 
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I'd guess that as a beginning player, you have other aspects of your game that you'd be better served to work on. Suited connectors sometimes win big pots, but they're not big winning hands in the long run. Remember that you can lose big pots with them because it's very hard to flop nut or even near-nut hands.
 
sunburnt2k11

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i think anna oakley said that if you want to play suited connectors... try thinking of them as offsuited and then ask yourself, would you still play them if they were connectors but off suited? :) good luck
 
rock0001

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try to never play suit conectors in early or middle positions because if someone raises and then other re raises, your odds of flopping a monster wouldnt we worth it because you risk a lot of your stack and that just not profitable in the long run. however in late positions if no one enters to a pot or there are one or more limps, limping here became a great choice because with a small bet you can flop a fush or straight, and even you get a set or two pair and one will ever imagine you could have a hand such as 67s or 45s. so it can be very profitable if you can play it cheap and especially in late positions.
 
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TrevVegas

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Myself suited connectors r trouble wAt to many DONKS out there. I play a lot at least 10 hours a day any where from 15$ to 60$ sit @ go's . Just to many people call u flop looks high pair make 3 tines pot get a fold then another reraise. Just FOLD u will lose more than way. Play right throw that crap away
 
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TrevVegas

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Trev

Myself suited connectors r trouble wAt to many DONKS out there. I play a lot at least 10 hours a day any where from 15$ to 60$ sit @ go's . Just to many people call u flop looks high pair make 3 tines pot get a fold then another reraise. Just FOLD u will lose more than way. Play right throw that crap away
 
cardriverx

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If you have ~10BBs and you are ever opening, you should be shoving. It's fine to check anything in the BB though.
 
dealio96

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The best time to play suited connectors is early in the tourney when the blinds are small. It is alot cheaper to see a flop and hit hard with em as opposed to later in the game you will obv be paying more to see a flop.
 
DaBrowner

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I agree with cotta777, fold early raise late, by raising you represent a bigger hand preflop.
 
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flincGO

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Alright guys, I appreciate all the responses. It's nice to be able to get the opinions of more experienced players. I'm currently working on putting players on ranges. Is anyone aware of some good reading material on the subject?
 
chipstacker

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Can't do it all the time

The percentages arent with you so much, so try not to do too often, but winning those hands are the only way to get deep into the tourney
 
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