FULL TILT POKER BLOG

The Ever-Changing Dynamic of Suited Connectors

Posted by anonymous | Filed under Uncategorized

Once upon a time poker players speculated on X/X-1 (e.g. 98s, 65s) suited connectors. They prayed for big flops and huge pay days. Sometimes they got them, most of the time they didn’t. But now there is a new kid in town.

For greater value, I have advocated playing trickier X/X-2 (e.g. 97s, 86s) suited connectors for some time and I am seeing more and more players adding these types of hands into their mix. Straights and two pair made with gapped connectors are far more difficult for opponents to see.

A typical stacking occurs like this:

FultTilt cash game, $2/$4NL, 9-handed

*** PREFLOP ***
MP raises $8 to $12
Victim calls $12
Fuel55 calls $8 from BB with [3h 5h]

I am getting about 3.5:1 here and make a speculative call with gap suited connectors given that I have $4 in already from the BB.

*** FLOP *** [2c 4d Qh]
Fuel55 bets $16
MP folds
Victim calls $16

I bet out with my open ender to see where I am at. Victim smooth calls so I smell a queen – maybe KQ.

*** TURN *** [2c 4d Qh] [Ts]
Fuel55 bets $44
Victim raises $44 to $88
Fuel55 calls $44

I bet out again and get min-raised. I certainly don’t like this. Now I have to be thinking two pair or small set since QQQ is an unlikely holding.

I have to call $44 into $204. Since I have 8 outs for sure so the call is definitely correct. Add to that is the fact that my opponent isn’t folding if I hit (I.e., Ace or 6 probably won’t scare him), there is some extra implied value in making the call.

*** RIVER *** [2c 4d Qh Ts] [6c]
Fuel55 bets $92
Victim calls $87.50 and is all-in

I put him all in since I know he won’t fold at this point. If I had missed the river, I would have to check/fold.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Fuel55 shows [3h 5h] (a straight, deuce to six)
Victim mucks hand [2h 2s] (a set of deuces)
Fuel55 collected $418 from pot

Not much this guy could have done with his set. Reraising me on the flop perhaps but, as we all desire, he wanted to extract some value from his set.

Again, I will reiterate that one-gap suited connectors are very tricky hands and should be part of your NL Hold’em play. The losers of these hands never know what hit them.

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