How often you play suited connectors and one-gappers?
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Joined: Nov '09
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 2387
Hi all. I am interested to know how often you play suited connectors and one-gappers, in what position you play them, whether or not you will call a raise with them, etc. I like to play down to no lower than 7-8s connectors and K-Js one gapper, usually in late position against a small raise or raising in very late position with nobody else in the pot.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Those are late position hands. They play better post flop, if we have position. Before calling a raise with them one should look at the blinds. Do they 3bet often?
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
I will call with them if there is a good chance I will see the flop and if I have a good stack of chips to play with. This means I will also raise them in early position if I'm on a table that tends to flat call preflop. If I hit the flop, obviously discounting top pair no kicker or mid pair then I can usually get a lot of chips back cos they can't put me on my hand. Having said that you can't go raising every time you get them even if you are late position and no one has raised.
Also if I'm short stack in a tourney I might shove with K 10 or J 9 if I'm under pressure and have a good opportunity. In that case having suited cards doesn't help much unless you're dominated sharing a card with a big stack.
Joined: Jun '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 48
I only play "baby connectors" (or Neagreneau hands! ) in late positions or if i'm high on chips and with a thight image on the table... near the bubble!
i only play these kinds of hands when am in late postion or want to mix up my game, carnt wait for top pairs all the time , also it depends how tight the table is or cash game or tourney alot of different factors are involed here, when to play cards like this theres a right time and a place and mainly if it cheap to play them
The advice of late position only is best, but I've been seeing alot of players betting aggressively preflop with 2 and 3 gap connecters from early position and winning on ipoker over the last couple of weeks.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
Oh yeh - you gotta play these hands when the situation is right (late pos, deep stacks, etc). Just don't be a fish.
Oh also - I think if you're in an MTT and get down to say 3-4 big blinds (for whatever reason) I think you're much better off throwing in on 4-way pot with say 78s (probably 2 live cards) and take a shot at getting a decent stack, than you are shoving the first raggy ace you get, which is probably gonna be dominated by a better calling ace anyway.
Joined: Nov '09
Location: Poland
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1189
I prefer to open them from MP3+. Sometimes earlier if i have much oponents behind me which know me. Because they don't think i can open such cards so i mix game.
And about getting yourself to 3-4 big blinds..... it's IMO nearly impossible because with around 6-7 you should push nearly any2.
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
You mention k-js, normally when above j-10s you stop calling them suited connectors, not so relevent but nice to know what we are talking about.(also excluding low SCs) For me I like to have lots of action with it, 4 players is nice, even more is better and im looking for that big flop to get the pay off flush or str8 draw, obviously set or 2 pair is good to go but we want big. Now its normally hard to get correct value in cash games as 4 people in a pot suggest low limits or bbad play, thats fine, but if you switch to limit then this is a contending hand. Good hand for late stages in a tournament but not when down to HU for HU you want the high value cards. Its good to steal blinds with, if you cet called you got a playing hand. MP to LP is were you should be playing them (not SGCs) either raising or calling. There ar so many diffrent situations that it is far to hard to say when to play a hand, my thoughts are for NL FR low/micro games.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
Posted by ZmxPowah:
And about getting yourself to 3-4 big blinds..... it's IMO nearly impossible because with around 6-7 you should push nearly any2.
Oh I agree completely - but if you get your stack in against a marginally smaller stack it's easy enough to land with 3-4 big blinds esp in later stages
Posted by capinheiro: I only play "baby connectors" (or Neagreneau hands! ) in late positions or if i'm high on chips and with a thight image on the table... near the bubble!
I rarely playing "baby connectors" too but there was time when that made many chips for me. Best choice mix up your game deceive opponents if you have enough chips and good position My best connector hand are 7+8 suited " " or not, mostly play them on MTT's few times on cash games.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 401
SC are good to play In Position as said here. They play very well on multiway pots where you can hit big or run away cheap. Against a Open Raise and a Cold Call you can call too with them, great implied odds. You can Call one raise too when both the raiser and you are deepstacked (150bb+). You can use them as blind stealing hands, even if the blinds defend passivly you have a playable hand. Blind defense is also a possibility, but there you lose the position advantage.
Other spot you can use them is to balance your 3bet range against other regulars. But do not over do it or you will get problems and be aware of your table image when you try it.
) in late positions or if i'm high on chips and with a thight image on the table... near the bubble! 
" or not, mostly play them on MTT's few times on cash games.
