When to Play Suited Connectors in Texas Holdem PokerLaws.Org

First of all let us define what we mean by suited connectors. It is basically just what the name says that it is. Suited connectors are when you have two cards that are right next to each other in rank and both of them are the same suit.

An example of suited connectors would be 8♥ 9♥ or J♠ 10♠. These hands are speculative hands but they have quite a few possible ways to turn in to something. These hands have straight and flush possibilities. When you play suited connectors you are hoping that you will hit the flop hard and wind up with a really strong hand.

These hands play better against a larger field because you will not make a hand with suited connectors more often that you will make a hand so you will need the hands that you win to have enough money in them to justify the odds. These hands do not play well heads up. However, they are disguised well enough that players who hold huge pocket pairs will never know what hit them if the board runs out with low cards or with other straight or flush opportunities.

Late Position or in the Blinds

When you are playing suited connectors you want to be able to see the flop without having to pay too big of a price to do it. Because of this you do not want to come in to the put in early position because you could be facing a raise behind you and then you have to make the choice to either invest way too much in a speculative hand or fold a wasted bet. Although it is generally not a good practice to limp in No Limit Texas Hold Em, when you are playing suited connectors may be one of the exceptions to that rule.

If previously in the session, you have limped in early with a big hand and were able to check raise with it then your previous action may well protect the suited connectors that you are playing now from a raise. Playing suited connectors is a good way to vary your play and being able to vary your play makes you unpredictable and that is the way that you want to be in poker.

Setting Up a Trap

Suited connectors are not a trapping hand by themselves. Suited connectors, that have hit the flop well, are a good trapping hand. When you play suited connectors the goal is to try to see a flop for as small an investment as is possible. If you fit a straight or a flush then you need to get paid off on it, and you usually will get paid off if you hit your hand.

However, there are some things that you do have to watch out for.

First of all, you have to use this technique judiciously because you will be trying to set up more traps than you are going to be getting paid off on so you need to be careful that you do not invest more money trying to set the traps than they bring back to you in the few instances where the traps work. As you are developing the skill to play suited connectors properly you need to watch for the risk reward issue so that you can refine the use of this technique to a point where it is profitable for you.

Secondly, you should be very careful that you don’t get caught in your own trap. You can get caught in your own trap by finding yourself on a draw after the flop, and then after the turn, only to come up empty on the river. Unless the draw that you have after the flop is a really good draw and your investment to draw for it is not that great it may be best if you just fold the hand and wait for another opportunity. Remember that if it becomes too costly to set the traps then, in the long run, they will not pay off for you.

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