Medium to low suited/one-gap connectors in cash games

Luvart

Luvart

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In cash games how do you incorporate medium and low suited and one-gap suited connectors in your game?

I'm talking about hands like J10s, 98s up to 54s and hands like Q10s up to 86s or maybe 75s.....Do you open them from the HJ or mid position (for 9 max tables)? Do you call with them to single open-raises or even limp behind?

I'm always tempting to start playing them from the early positions, but they are nasty hands, most times you end up with garbage postflop.....:(
 
SirYivx

SirYivx

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Easily dominated hands(QT, KT, etc), and basically all hands you have mentioned above are a fold from early position for me in full-ring games(9-max). This changes a lot for 6-max, because ranges widen due to less players having possible strong hands, but in early position in full-rings these are a fold. If action folds to you in mid to late position, these become an easy open, although playing hands like 45s-78s can be tough, as both your straight and flush draws can be easily beaten by higher straights and flushes.

Regarding limpers, look at it this way: If your hand is not strong enough to raise into multiple opponents, then don't. Say you have KJo in the HJ vs two limpers. There are still 3 players left to act, and you will have to raise high enough to not only get the blinds to fold, but the limpers too, which will rarely happen. What if you face a 3bet? The 3bet is going to give you terrible odds to call most of the time, and you are likely dominated or in very bad shape vs their range.

All in all, avoid raising easily-dominated and connected hands like you have mentioned above from EP in full-ring games. It is simply a -EV play. Limping behind vs other limpers is fine, raise only when you have a hand strong enough to do so with, and raise on the bigger side. Most limpers are calling stations/fish who do not like to fold and do not understand pot odds, so give them bad odds, they don't know the difference.

Also, know your table. Knowing your opponents can help you put them on a range. See what hands they have when they limp-raise vs when they open. I find it best to fold these types of hands until I have set up a tighter image. Then, as the game progresses, I can incorporate these types of hands into my range, throwing my opponents off, as they now know me to be a tight player.

Best of luck.
 
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FrothyGoodness

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Always depends on the table your at, Usually If I'm in position I will raise preflop to get a read on players and their ranges , that way if I do get a favorable flop with 7-9 suited it will be hidden.
 
Luvart

Luvart

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Most limpers are calling stations/fish who do not like to fold and do not understand pot odds, so give them bad odds, they don't know the difference.

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I agree with that. Limping/call my iso-raise is their default move. In nanostakes, iso-raising doesn't seem to work so well.
 
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Darth_Moola

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Suited Connectors

These hands have way more potential than initial equity, but that is why they are better for late position play. In early position you will never know where you stand in the hand unless you flop a straight, flush, etc. Even then, it is possible someone flopped better. In late position you get more information to make better decisions and have the advantage of less potential callers behind.
 
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