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Online Poker Forum - suited connectors pre-flop

 
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killerdog77
High Card


Joined: 14 Apr 2006
Posts: 11
Location: Ohio

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:54 am    Post subject: suited connectors pre-flop Reply with quote

when is it a good time to go in with that?
and do you raise with them?
and if raise to, what will make a bad call?
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junkbutton
Message Board Junkie


Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4045
Location: Gutterrock, NY

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suited connectors are great to see a flop with, so if I can get in for cheap, I usually will. If someone min raises, and there are a couple or more callers, I'll call too. You're looking to flop a big hand, and the more people in the pot, the more you'll get paid off if you hit. Not really a hand that I try to push people around with, but if I'm getting short stacked, and at the point where it's all in or fold, I might take a chance with them. Depending on what they are, they are probably live cards, with straight and flush possibilities. Sometimes you just have to depend on luck...
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TTG2k
High Card


Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 17
Location: Toronto, Ontario

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like to play suited connectors but only when I'm going up against avg. to large stacks. The reason being is if you call pre-flop and you're going up against a low stack, your expected payout if you hit your flush or straight is much less since your opponent doesn't have much in chips.

In addition, your chip stack should also be a consideration. If you have less than 10 times the big blind and small blind combined ie: Blinds are $50/$100 (Tournament play) and you have $1,000 in chips. That means you have about 7 times the BB/SB. In situations like these, I try to avoid playing suited connectors because again, your expected payoff will be lower since you have a low chip stack. With low chip stack, you want to push harder with premium hands and if you do decide to play low-mid pairs or suited connectors, you gotta go all-in or be aggressive with them when you're low chip stack.

TTG2k
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AllInDrawinDead
Royal Flush


Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 580
Location: New York, NY

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Usually you want to just call a standard 3x raise and try to connect. You need the flop so don't re-raise because you might not ever get to see that flop. You want to hit the flop hard with two pair, trips, flush draw with a gutshot, open ender or double belly buster straight draw. One pair is a trouble hand even if it's the top pair.
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emoney_33
Full House


Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 199

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sometimes if i'm in late position or in the blinds and there are a lot of callers but no one really raising i'll raise big (all in depending on my stack size) and try to steal the chips, if someone was slow playing a monster like AA you still have a better chance than if you were dominated like AA vs. QQ or AK vs AQ
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mathman1115
Wizard of Odderation


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 3050
Location: Land of the Fightin' Phillies

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sometimes if atleast 3 players limp in before me in late position i like to raise with suited connectors, especially 8/9 and 9/10. I only raise 2-3 times the BB so that all the limpers will be inclined to call as well, thus creating a large pot. Usually a raise preflop in this position will get me a free turn card if i choose to take it, and if i hit my hand the pot is a nice one.
However, against a tight table the value of these hands goes way down. You dont' want to be playing heads up to a raise with these types of hands. Suited connectors do have much more value in NL than in limit though. If you hit that monster you can take someones whole stack!
Just be sure not to overplay them though if you flop a pair. You have to have discipline with these types of hands for them to be profitable.
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AllInDrawinDead
Royal Flush


Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 580
Location: New York, NY

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

emoney_33 wrote:
sometimes if i'm in late position or in the blinds and there are a lot of callers but no one really raising i'll raise big (all in depending on my stack size) and try to steal the chips, if someone was slow playing a monster like AA you still have a better chance than if you were dominated like AA vs. QQ or AK vs AQ


I don't know if this is the greatest move. With a suited connector you want to see a multi-way flop for a cheap price. If everyone limps then they clearly are not showing much strength but either you are going to win a little bit by stealing the blinds or you are going to lose your whole stack. Having your money in against an overpair with two undercards is a terrible spot to be in.

You want to hit the flop with a real hand or a good semibluff opportunity. You will have to raise a good portion of your chips to get everyone to lay down preflop and you should never risk more than 10%-12% of you chips with suited connectors.
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Notorious_JL
Straight Flush


Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 383

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Reply with quote

I'm no expert, but here's my view on it.

In late position, raising is nice with a bunch of limpers because

If the board is scary, you can represent a nice hand because you raised and they have to respect it, and will often fold to your bet post-flop.

If the board ISN'T scary it probably hit you with your suited connectors, and you are likely in the lead and/or have a nice flush/straight draw.

I like playing them but only from position, I let em' go in seat 1-4 unless the table is letting everyone limp in. I was in a tourney last night that everyone was limping for the first hour. I was raising them from position like crazy, they never caught on. And then the tide turned and everyone was a maniac, with HUGE POTS every hand, LOL. I've never seen anything like that one.

JL
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junkbutton
Message Board Junkie


Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4045
Location: Gutterrock, NY

PostPosted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Reply with quote

Notorious_JL wrote:
I'm no expert, but here's my view on it.

In late position, raising is nice with a bunch of limpers because

If the board is scary, you can represent a nice hand because you raised and they have to respect it, and will often fold to your bet post-flop.


By scary board, I'm thinking you're talking about big cards. If some players called your raise preflop, wouldn't you have to respect their preflop call? If the flop comes down AK6 rainbow, are you really going to be betting into 2 or 3 preflop callers with 9 10s?

I still don't think that suited connectors are cards that you need to push anybody around with preflop.
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Notorious_JL
Straight Flush


Joined: 20 Dec 2005
Posts: 383

PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:23 am    Post subject: Re: Reply with quote

I certainly don't do it all the time, I mix it up enough to leave some guessing. And I am respecting their call as much as I hope they are respecting my raise. But the chance of them having a big hand is small because they limped in and got raised by me. So I put them on A*, KQ, etc. The chance of a limper having a BIG hand is not huge, right? Yes it happens, but they usually get punished for doing that long term LOL.

If it hits AK I'm out if someone bets. But often you'll be in position and it will be checked to you, and you'll be able to bet here or after the turn and they fold it away. If they check it to you , they either have something for a check-raise (and I'll fold after the feeler bet), OR they have an A or a K with a weak kicker, and will often fold to a respectable bet. If you are in with 3 guys you only have to win 1 out of 4 times to break even, I know you guys know this already.

It's the whole position thing. I had read it and read it, and only after a year does it start to become clear how powerful position is IMO. I know some guys will raise with 89s from early, I won't go that far LOL.

All I'm saying is that the suited connectors can really work well if people assume you have a big hand when you raise, because they are misreading your hand. You just have to know when to lay em' down, which many folks just can't do, they overvalue top pr a lot and can't get away from it.

JL
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junkbutton
Message Board Junkie


Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 4045
Location: Gutterrock, NY

PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In all fairness then, you can make this same play with 2 5 off suit. I'll assume that you like this strategy with suited connectors because there is the potential of making a big hand. Interesting...
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