2006-05-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Pre-flop

Suited connectors will only be profitable when you hit the right flop. This, as stated, is likely to be infrequently, so in order to make the play worthwhile in the long term, you should endeavour to make sure that the pot is as large as possible, or has the potential to grow to an agreeable size.

This is likely to require multiple players all limping or calling something like a minimum raise. Suited connectors do not stand up well against a single opponent who is betting heavily. This player is likely to be holding a premium starting hand and will want to thin the field as much as possible. Suited connectors can transform into hands strong enough to beat multiple opponents, winning a few big pots rather than a number of smaller ones. The more players prepared to go the distance, the better for the suited connectors.

Post-flop

With suited connectors, you must remember that you are looking to win a big pot with either a straight or a flush. For this reason, hitting just a pair with one of your hole cards is not good enough - your 7♦-8♦ is unlikely to be ahead on a flop of 2♠-8♠-A♣. You have middle pair, low kicker and the hand should be discarded in the face of any bet.

A flop such as 6♦-9♣-A♦ is a different matter. Here you have flopped an up-and-down straight draw as well as a flush draw; any 5, 10 or diamond will give you a decent hand. It is really up to you how strong you wish to play at this point. Remember, you are still behind against any player holding an ace, but the right card on either turn or river can shoot you into a very strong position - the ace might still pay off your significantly better holding.

The options here are to play slowly and hope to hit the magic card (ready to throw the hand away if it does not come) or play strongly and hope to pick up whatever is in the pot already, all the while knowing that if you are called, you have plenty of outs to make a winner.

If you do choose to commit to this hand, then you should probably do so strongly. Put in a big bet or raise and force the decision on to your opponents. If you play it softly, you must have the discipline to lay it down if you don't improve - chasing draws all the way to the river is a costly practice.

Warning

Apart from the obvious danger of finding yourself deep into a pot with nothing but a draw - that then misses - it is worth remembering that even if you hit your draw, you may still be losing.

In the example above, a diamond on the turn or river gives you a flush, but your highest card is only the 8. Two larger diamonds in an opponent's hand has you totally dominated. Be alert to what your opponent might have; sometimes a card that is good for you is even better for someone else.

suited connectors

2006-05-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Having taken a brief glimpse in previous card school lessons at both pocket pairs and ace-king, it is now time to widen our list of possible starting hands a notch farther and consider the group known as suited connectors.

Suited connectors are two cards of the same suit that are closely ranked to one another, 7♦-8 ♦ or 10♣-J♣, for example. They hold little intrinsic value and are unlikely to be the strongest hand in the pre-flop betting round, but their potential for improvement is good: they require three more cards from the possible five yet to be dealt to make either a straight or flush (or, indeed, a straight flush). Either of these hands is usually good enough to win a sizeable pot at showdown.

Suited connectors are not the kind of hand to be played every time they are dealt, however, nor should they be played much further than the flop if there is no improvement from the first community cards. Seeing the occasional flop while holding them is a good way to vary your play and, when they do connect, they are often invisible to opponents, who might be inclined to think you are bluffing and pay you off in full. Still, they should only be played sparingly; they don't hold up often enough to warrant sizeable and frequent investments.

Card school

suited connectors