Suited Connectors

[nmlump]

Under what conditions do you play suited (45s - TJs) connectors out of position?
I've read a lot of stuff on this, and I can't seem to get a consensus. Some say
only play them in LP, others say limp with them, some say raise, some say don't
play them at all until LP.


Yeah, I know. "It depends". I am looking for your thought processes here. I am
getting jammed up playing them out of position. You can assume that my stack is
100 BB.


1. To call a raise in the blinds (if at all), how big does the raiser's stack
need to be, and how big a raise do you call?
2. Are you raising with them in LP when you are first in?
3. To call a raise what is the preference for the raiser's profile TAG, LAG,
etc.
4. What other situations are you looking for?


Also, how do you play them out of position after the flop assuming you hit a
draw? Are you betting them? Checking and calling? What if the pot is multiway?

[123bird]

I think you have to look at the position your in, weather your chiped up or its early blinds.
I like to at least see a flop with 45-89 if theres no pre flop raise, & its early blinds
10J is a hard one for me,I like to play them only because I've had a lot of luck with them.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how other people like to play the.

Great Question nmlump

[Fictive]

There's no one way to do it. For example, I might limp with suited connectors from EP or MP, other times I fold, other times I raise. It basically comes down to the structure of the players at the table. One thing I personally don't do, is call pre-flop bets with them, because I've found it's just a waste of money. Only time I do call is when I know a player who has raised if very tight, so it's a lot easier to know what they have. Also players that are very passive are great because you often get a free card. If a player tends to fold on the flop when faced a bet and hasn't hit, it's easy to call a whole lot of different hands because you get to steal a lot. I can't give you a better answer than to follow closely to your tables and play accordingly. One thing works at one table, another way works in another table.

[mitchelkuh]

good doing that

[justalilguy]

I would rather play a cash game where you can play anything you feel like rather than a tournament where you could end up sitting there for an hour and finally get a great and in the end get cracked by and be out of the tournament that you seemed to play so great but just 1 mistake and all that time you've spent ends up being a waste

[PapaGary48]

My personal view, know who is playing and how they are playing... I wouldn't put to much in before the flop.... if there's any kind of raise before me, I'm "usually" out.... in the early positions, it's a crap shoot... if you call and than there is a raise, its back to who raised, and how the table is.... after the flop, well thats when you need to be on the ball with what you have then and what has happen with the other players... if you have a hand, ok... if not.... well?

[ScottyB]

Suited connectors are an easy lay down in EP. Too often do I see people limp with them, only to get raised from a guy in later position and they throw away their hand along with their money. I personally like to limp with suited connectors after I`ve seen 1 or 2 limpers infront of me and I know that if I limp it's unlikely someone will raise behind me unless he wakes up with a monster. The real value of these hands comes when you see 4 to 5 way flops and hit your hand. J10 suited is my exception. I will still lay it down in EP, but if it's folded to me, I'll raise it in LP which helps diguise my hand and allows me to mix it up so that my opponents don't portray me as a total rock and still give me considerable action. I will also call a raise with J10 suited if I`m in position because I know that any straight I make will be the nuts and any flush I make will only have 3 flushes that can beat it. The real key to these hands though is not when you make a monster but when the flop comes J high or 10 high. This is where I see alot of players lose alot of money with these hands. If you're good at reading your opponents and knowing where you're at in a hand then suited connectors can be among your most profitable hands but if you're still having trouble with those concepts then you should eliminate suited connectors from your range of playable hands and stick to premium hands.

Here is pretty much the formula I stick to

UTG UTG+1 UTG+2 UTG+3 UTG+4 -- fold all suited connectors
UTG+5 -- in unopened pot raise J10 suited and fold all others -- if there are 1 or more limpers infront of me call with J10 109 98 and fold all others
CO -- in unopened pot raise with J10 and 109 fold all others -- 1 or more limpers call with j10 109 98 87
Button -- unopened raise with J10 109 98 -- 1 or more limpers call with J10 109 98 87 67

23 34 45 suited just dont make enough ``nut`` straights so even if you make your hand you still might be in trouble so I don't like to play them.

Once again the key to these hands is knowing how to get away from them when you miss the flop.

[crkdog]

I think its always a hard play but if you know who is playing, how they play and most of all your position I think you willl have good luck..... LUCK that is the main part of the game

[ScottyB]

think its always a hard play but if you know who is playing, how they play and most of all your position I think you willl have good luck..... LUCK that is the main part of the game

I like to make solid mathematical plays. Counting on luck is just bad business.

[sneak_a_peek]

hmmmm i love my same suited hole cards..i am very lucky in hitting my flushes ..so for me i just go by how things r going for me at the time of play and what my stack is and how high my conecters r and how loose or tight people r at my table.. im not a pecentage kind of person...more of my feelings and what i see or saw on tha board and how my luck is that night

[I Eat Gamblers]

I like suited connectors and play them quite often, i think J10 is my favorite

[ranci]

Suited connectors are overrated.

[ranci]

Originally Posted by sneak_a_peek hmmmm i love my same suited hole cards..i am very lucky in hitting my flushes ..so for me i just go by how things r going for me at the time of play and what my stack is and how high my conecters r and how loose or tight people r at my table.. im not a pecentage kind of person...more of my feelings and what i see or saw on tha board and how my luck is that night

No offense, this is terrible advice. Playing based on "what u saw on tha board" or "how your luck is that night" or "how high your conecters r" is on the edge of absurdity

[iceveins0901]

Sometimes if my suited connectors havent been hitting well all night, I will let some pass me by on the way to the muck. Sometimes you just cant catch a hand with them.