March 7, 2024 • 18 mins
Today’s poker tip is the basics of playing suited connectors. Links mentioned in the podcast are below ⬇️
Suited connector basics
1. **Position Awareness**: Always try to play suited connectors in later positions, as it's important to have as much information as possible before making your move.
2. **Understanding Pot Odds**: Be aware of the pot odds. Suited connectors have high implied odds, but if the cost to play isn't justified by the potential payout, consider folding. The deeper the effective stacks the better. 15 to 1 in position. 20 to 1 out of position.
3. **Player Tendencies**: Consider the tendencies of your opponents. Suited connectors fare better against opponents who will pay you off with AA or TPTK when you hit your hand. The best players in the game can make folds and get away from hands. These are the type of players to play suited connectors against vs a raise.
4. **Board Texture**: Post-flop, be aware of the board texture. Suited connectors are aiming for straights, flushes, or combo draws, so evaluate how well the board matches with these objectives. Don’t pile money in the pot because you flopped 3rd pair.
5. **Post-flop Aggression**: Don't be overly aggressive post-flop if you miss. If you have the betting lead you can continuation bet favorable flops for your range. You can also barrel strong draws and combo draws. It's better to let the hand go if you don't flop big hands or draws or if the board is unfavorable.
6. **Hand Reading**: Try to put your opponents on a range of hands. This will help you evaluate whether your flush or straight is likely to be the best hand if you hit. One of the pitfalls of suited connectors is getting over flushed. Being aggressive preflop, and post flop on favorable boards helps to get better flush draws to fold.
7. **Balancing Your Range**: Include suited connectors in your range to balance it and not be overly predictable to your opponents. You don’t have to do this from every position. But in late positions they can be added into your raising range and will help keep all players guessing. Even the good ones.
8. **Bluffing**: Use suited connectors as bluffing tools when the board texture allows for it and you have position. This allows you to win more often without hitting a straight or flush. For example, if you flop a straight or flush draw and are in a position when you had to call the flop instead of raise it, you can raise turns when middle or bottom card pairs. You will pick up some extra folds in this spot and you still have your straight and flush out when it doesn’t work. Make sure it’s a board where villain is capped at one pair.
Fans of the Pod get ad free, fluff free episode every single Sunday: https://lowlimitcashgames.com
Save 10% when you choose the annual option
Targeted Low Stakes poker training with hundreds of hours of audio and video teaching exclusively how to crush 1/2 and 1/3 no limit: https://lowlimitcashgames.com
Save 10% when you choose the annual option.
Hate AK? How to Play AK Master Class
For only $49 get this 88 minute training video of me showing you exactly how to play AK, particularly when out of position.
https://www.patreon.com/lowlim...
The best way to ramp your game up and know how to play any hand in any spot by drilling it over and over again. This is the only product I endorses. Make sure to use my code for a 25% discount at checkout: https://advancedpokertraining....
Use code: lowlimit
Want more details on everything that is offered with the training package on Patreon? I go into great detail about it all here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/...
Suited connector basics
1. **Position Awareness**: Always try to play suited connectors in later positions, as it's important to have as much information as possible before making your move.
2. **Understanding Pot Odds**: Be aware of the pot odds. Suited connectors have high implied odds, but if the cost to play isn't justified by the potential payout, consider folding. The deeper the effective stacks the better. 15 to 1 in position. 20 to 1 out of position.
3. **Player Tendencies**: Consider the tendencies of your opponents. Suited connectors fare better against opponents who will pay you off with AA or TPTK when you hit your hand. The best players in the game can make folds and get away from hands. These are the type of players to play suited connectors against vs a raise.
4. **Board Texture**: Post-flop, be aware of the board texture. Suited connectors are aiming for straights, flushes, or combo draws, so evaluate how well the board matches with these objectives. Don’t pile money in the pot because you flopped 3rd pair.
5. **Post-flop Aggression**: Don't be overly aggressive post-flop if you miss. If you have the betting lead you can continuation bet favorable flops for your range. You can also barrel strong draws and combo draws. It's better to let the hand go if you don't flop big hands or draws or if the board is unfavorable.
6. **Hand Reading**: Try to put your opponents on a range of hands. This will help you evaluate whether your flush or straight is likely to be the best hand if you hit. One of the pitfalls of suited connectors is getting over flushed. Being aggressive preflop, and post flop on favorable boards helps to get better flush draws to fold.
7. **Balancing Your Range**: Include suited connectors in your range to balance it and not be overly predictable to your opponents. You don’t have to do this from every position. But in late positions they can be added into your raising range and will help keep all players guessing. Even the good ones.
8. **Bluffing**: Use suited connectors as bluffing tools when the board texture allows for it and you have position. This allows you to win more often without hitting a straight or flush. For example, if you flop a straight or flush draw and are in a position when you had to call the flop instead of raise it, you can raise turns when middle or bottom card pairs. You will pick up some extra folds in this spot and you still have your straight and flush out when it doesn’t work. Make sure it’s a board where villain is capped at one pair.
Fans of the Pod get ad free, fluff free episode every single Sunday: https://lowlimitcashgames.com
Save 10% when you choose the annual option
Targeted Low Stakes poker training with hundreds of hours of audio and video teaching exclusively how to crush 1/2 and 1/3 no limit: https://lowlimitcashgames.com
Save 10% when you choose the annual option.
Hate AK? How to Play AK Master Class
For only $49 get this 88 minute training video of me showing you exactly how to play AK, particularly when out of position.
https://www.patreon.com/lowlim...
The best way to ramp your game up and know how to play any hand in any spot by drilling it over and over again. This is the only product I endorses. Make sure to use my code for a 25% discount at checkout: https://advancedpokertraining....
Use code: lowlimit
Want more details on everything that is offered with the training package on Patreon? I go into great detail about it all here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Death, Sex & Money
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.