When Should I Play Suited Connectors?

Two cards in sequential order of the same suited are suited connectors. They are appealing on the eye and have great value under the right circumstances. Many a professional’s have suited connectors as their favourite hand in Texas Hold’em. Many cash game players will attest to suited connectors being their most profitable hand group. Pull up the stats on your poker software. Are they making you lots of money? If not, this article should help you understand when to play them.

When you shouldn’t play suited connectors

As pretty as they are, there are times when you just need to muck suited connectors. Let’s look at some scenarios when they need to be dumped.

Short stacks

This is not the time to play the 56 suited. You want big cards that fare well in pre flop confrontations. These types of hands will do poorly against hands the likely hand ranges you will face. Let’s look at 4d 5d. It is about 41% against an Ace King and 22% against a pair of 9s. These are not favourable scenarios that work well for the 4-5 suited. The same is true if your opponent has a short stack, you can’t play the suited connector for full value.

Out of position

Suited Connectors are difficult to play effectively out of position. The fact is, you cannot control the betting how you wish when you first to act. If you flop a draw or a low pair, how do you proceed? It’s tricky isn’t it? It’s hard to get the full value when you do hit too so be careful playing these hands out of position. Against a weak table you can pull it off but not on the tougher tables.

Against the best players

Calibre of opponent is always a consideration at the table when you are entering a pot. Whilst suited connectors are a joy to win big pots with, sometimes you need to tighten up and play premium hands. If there is an amazing player at your table who can hand read well and difficult to extract value from then playing the suited connector to one of his raises might not be wise.

When you can play suited connectors

The key to playing suited connectors is to get in cheap and break your opponents. Play them multi-way and in position. Try to make your hand before investing lots of money or chips.

In deep games

They are great when stacks are deep and you can crack a big pair or top pair top kicker hand that your opponent is overplaying. This is where implied odds are brilliant. You can afford to call a 2.2bb raise if you know you can win 125 bbs.

In position

Position is the best isn’t it? You can get away with playing hands you just wouldn’t if you were having to act first all hand. This is true for suited connectors too. I will happily call a raise on the button with 8s 9s against a tight player, knowing their range and able to get value or take it away later in the hand. This is why you can play suited connectors in position, because you have more opportunities to bluff or semi bluff later in the hand.

Multiway

They play best when there’s lots of players involved. You are not playing this hand for top pair. You are aiming to hit strong hands and get paid from players overplaying top pair type hands. That’s why you shouldn’t mind facing several opponents with these hands.