Suited connectors

Lotok

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Does anyone play low to mid suited connectors, if so how? I always fold them if below TJ. Wondering if I am missing a trick.

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BluffMeAllIn

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depends on position, stack sizes etc. Also game type, I'd be more opt to play them in a cash game (especially deep) than I would in an stt or tourney especially once the blinds are getting up there.

Any specific scenario you would be thinking on regarding if you should be playing the suited connectors?
 
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Typically the lowest I play is 78s or A2o but depending on the table and if I feel I can out play villains I've played 34s before. It really depends on how you've been representing and how the table is responding.
 
dirtyoldog

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if I can see a flop for cheap I will but if people at the table are raising preflop every hand I wont bother unless in late position and I can. or when the blinds get big ill stop playing hands like that.but if people let me play it I will, then they scream and yellwhen you bust there aces when they try slow playing them.lol :bootyshak
 
Lotok

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I usually play 10c/20c cash games on 888. I play a tight range 10 -k combos, pocket pairs. I see on lots of articles people play the connectors but I've never had luck. I know position and opponents matters so it's quite a high level question. When I do play a hand I'm quite aggressive. With connectors, I don't have the courage to be aggressive as low to mid cards are so weak.

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SeaRun

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depends on position, stack sizes etc. Also game type, I'd be more opt to play them in a cash game (especially deep) than I would in an stt or tourney especially once the blinds are getting up there.

Any specific scenario you would be thinking on regarding if you should be playing the suited connectors?

I think Dave gave a perfect answer.

Personally, one of the very few times I play them is when I'm button or one of the blinds, with lots of limpers ahead of me, where for 1/2 a blind or less I can see the flop. With the size of the pot, you're getting very good value if anything good hits. Yes, rare, but it happens, and can pay off big.
 
BearPlay

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They're also viable for an open blind steal OTB or CO.
 
blueskies

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Open or flat call with them in late position. You can occasionally 3bet vs. an open raiser with a wide opening range and high fold to 3bet%. In early position, fold. Against villains who rarely fold vs. 3bet, just flat and see the flop.

Your objective is to see the flop as cheaply as possible with as many players as possible and you wanna make a flush or straight. Don't go crazy if all you got is a pair. In early position, fold preflop.
 
suby_rafael

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Unless there is a 3bet or a fairly big opening bet i tend to call almost all the connectors if they are suited even likes of 2-3 and henceforth. But if they are unsuited then i don't call below 6-8 unless i am in the blinds i get more than good enough odds to call. So nothing wrong with that i call these in position because even if i miss the flop and i sense the opponent has also missed then i have the chance to take it down post flop and i do sometimes.

So it depends on your style of play and if people know how to make moves post flop or if they are against a weak opponent then they will call with such cards.
 
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I never play them early position. Only on the button or cutoff when there hasn't been too much action. If you put in a min-raise, you can still try to steal the pot if you miss. The key is, when you raise they believe that you have a broadway pair if one hits the flop. They tend not to believe that an all small flop hit you, so you can get paid off.
 
Diogo Jorge

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It depends. If you are in an EP you shouldnt pay, but in LP you can pay to see if they dont raise, because you can have a project, and it is nice for you if you can entry on a pot with low blind with suited connectors. But if you are in a LP and someone raise, you should do Fod. Fold it is the friend of the good players ;)
 
zEric7x

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My problem is with these types of hands is when I have something like 76 suited make a flush, but then be beaten by somebody with Q3 suited or whatever. I guess it shouldn’t happen too often but it sucks when it does.
 
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nnuubie

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Suited connectors are what i call 'popular' hands, meaning that very many cards in the deck have a chance of beings useful. Let's look....

45s through J10s: =
11 suited, + ((3 below, 2 matches, or 3 above =8) x3 =24) =35 cards...
That's right 35/50 cards that might be useful.....preflop.

Now, certainly, you need to be ready to fold ANY hand that is not lining up right, but the 'popularity' of these hands are why some folks really like them. I do kinda like the lower ones mostly in late position or blinds, and with a lot of limpers they can be nice when they hit hard at 13:1 pot odds. The implied odds on such a hand can be quite high, since folks have to bet the later rounds according to the size of the pot.
 
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dasher

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Interesting numbers, but let's not forget that to hit a straight or a flush you'll need at least three of those "useful" cards. Probably two of them on the flop if you want to continue your draw.
 
Diogo Jorge

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You cant get angry dude, because when you play poker you know that you will lose and win, and if you get angry you will lose all your chips, or even you BR.

It can happen but not too much times... the times you will win will aford the times you wil lose.
 
Rostislav71

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Hi, have a nice day and a good card to everyone.So it depends on the position, if there is the possibility to see the flop cheaply, so Hooray for that, after the flop you'll be none the wiser.;)

Suited connectors are what i call 'popular' hands, meaning that very many cards in the deck have a chance of beings useful. Let's look....

45s through J10s: =
11 suited, + ((3 below, 2 matches, or 3 above =8) x3 =24) =35 cards...
That's right 35/50 cards that might be useful.....preflop.

Now, certainly, you need to be ready to fold ANY hand that is not lining up right, but the 'popularity' of these hands are why some folks really like them. I do kinda like the lower ones mostly in late position or blinds, and with a lot of limpers they can be nice when they hit hard at 13:1 pot odds. The implied odds on such a hand can be quite high, since folks have to bet the later rounds according to the size of the pot.
Very well written, I agree with you completely,
 
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Suited connectors are the classic "Small Ball" hand - they have big potential but are easy to throw away if you don't connect. They are great for multi-way pots, assuming you can get in cheaply, and especially if you are in late position.

You must always keep in mind the dynamics of the table. If there are aggressive raisers behind you, you should play them more sparingly.

I often treat suited one-gap cards the same way....8 10s, 7 9s, etc.
 
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nnuubie

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Interesting numbers, but let's not forget that to hit a straight or a flush you'll need at least three of those "useful" cards. Probably two of them on the flop if you want to continue your draw.

Well i did say, "that's why some folks like them", and "be ready to fold", and of course position and table are important.

But for instance; AKo =
3+3=6 +3x4=12 =18 cards that can produce a hand, and many of which can be beat. Half as many as SCs

Pocket pairs of course barely have any way to increase. Good in a heads up, but not so good against party pots.

As far as needing two cards on the flop, well that's needing 66% right?
The mid SC gives a 35/50, or 70% chance that any card is useful. Now that doesn't entirely line up because the straight cards are not necessarily the flush cards.

Just the flush cards are 11/50, or 22%.
Just the straight (including suited) are 24/50, or 48%, and if you get hit high/low they still might not work out....

Of course, you always need to know when to fold.
 
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dasher

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Well i did say, "that's why some folks like them", and "be ready to fold", and of course position and table are important.

But for instance; AKo =
3+3=6 +3x4=12 =18 cards that can produce a hand, and many of which can be beat. Half as many as SCs
Your first mistake -- not taking into account that AK is often the best hand without hitting anything.
Just the flush cards are 11/50, or 22%.
Just the straight (including suited) are 24/50, or 48%, and if you get hit high/low they still might not work out....
You can't just add up the number of "useful" cards - that's not how statistics work. You need two RELATED cards. For example, 5h6h you can't count the combination of a 3 and an 8 because that's not a straight draw. They don't stretch, yet can both be used to fill straights. Different straights. Your results are over exaggerating the percentage of time you'll hit. Also, seriously, only open ended straight draws should be counted unless you're adding them to flush outs.

For example, you have almost 1% chance of flopping a flush and less than 1.5% chance of flopping a straight, a 11% chance of flopping a flush draw and so on...

flopping straight: 1.306%
flopping flush: 0.842%
flopping trips: 1.347%
flopping full house: 0.092%
flopping open ended draw: 10.449%
flopping flush draw: 10.944%
flopping two pair: 2.02%

Some of these you can add... some of them overlap. But overall, you are aren't going to hit the flop nearly as often as you are suggesting.
 
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nnuubie

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Some of these you can add... some of them overlap. But overall, you are aren't going to hit the flop nearly as often as you are suggesting.

I wasn't suggesting that. I clearly pointed out that they don't all overlap, and that you need to know when to fold.

And i reiterated numerous times that "that's why some people like them".

But your post was helpful and i thank you for your being specific with that. It might be helpful to the OP.:)
 
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example: MTT 9-max, hero at button with 45s, limp from utg, 3 limps from mp and cutoff limps too. Hero call ofcource, mb calls too, but bb raises for 5bb. Everyone calls, should the hero calls too? hero's stack is about 15bb. equity is so good, but 1/3 of stack for call..
 
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example: MTT 9-max, hero at button with 45s, limp from utg, 3 limps from mp and cutoff limps too. Hero call ofcource, mb calls too, but bb raises for 5bb. Everyone calls, should the hero calls too? hero's stack is about 15bb. equity is so good, but 1/3 of stack for call..
No, because your stack isn't big enough for the implied odds you need to get paid off.
 
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dasher

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I wasn't suggesting that. I clearly pointed out that they don't all overlap, and that you need to know when to fold.

And i reiterated numerous times that "that's why some people like them".

But your post was helpful and i thank you for your being specific with that. It might be helpful to the OP.:)

You were suggesting exactly that. All the disclaimers can't change...
45s through J10s: =
11 suited, + ((3 below, 2 matches, or 3 above =8) x3 =24) =35 cards...
That's right 35/50 cards that might be useful.....preflop.
...into a reasonable statement. What good is one heart on the flop to 45h? It's not "useful" at all. That's putting a major emphasis on the word "might" that isn't there. One heart + one straight card is not useful either.

And how do you justify:
But for instance; AKo =
3+3=6 +3x4=12 =18 cards that can produce a hand, and many of which can be beat. Half as many as SCs
How do you define "produce a hand?" What are those 3x4 cards that "produce a hand?" SCs have twice as many flops that hit than AKo? Most of those cards that hit still leave it well behind AKo. Two flush cards is still a draw. AKo without hitting anything is still the favorite over a draw.
 
Arjonius

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Suited connectors are the classic "Small Ball" hand - they have big potential but are easy to throw away if you don't connect. They are great for multi-way pots, assuming you can get in cheaply, and especially if you are in late position.
You haven't mentioned a huge factor. Playing small ball well requires a superior post-flop game. It's not just a matter of flopping big or missing. This leaves out all the times you only catch part of the flop such as a lower pair or a draw.
 
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nnuubie

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You were suggesting exactly that.

Dasher, I can see that you are trying to be very clear with these points, and I again thank you for your clarity.

I am certain that i should have been more clear, and will try to be more clear in the future, but really i was not suggesting what you seem to claim i was. I agree that i should have added words like 'potentially' useful. I was not trying to downtalk AK or uptalk SC, but only speak of why some folks like to look at them.

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, for your further clearing up what could have been misconstrued.:)
 
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