How to Play High-Suited Connectors

by Steve Horton

Suited connectors:
those wonder of wonders, the bane of pocket rockets. The hands that mean little to nothing before the flop, but can combine with so many cards on the flop, turn and river to produce monster draws and monster hands.

Suited connectors play well against a large number of players, as those players will have pocket pairs and offsuited high cards. These starting hands produce final hands like trips and two pair, which get busted by suited connectors that have hit a straight or flush draw.

Suited connectors, especially high ones, have huge potential and must be played very carefully. Here’s some wisdom from top players on how to play the four highest suited connectors in no-limit Texas hold’em, both before and after the flop.

PRE-FLOP

Tell us about looking down and seeing J-T, Q-J, K-Q or A-K suited. What’s going through your head?

Greg Raymer:

There is a HUGE difference between seeing A-Ks and J-Ts. With A-Ks, I’m thinking I am highly likely to have the best hand now, so how do I win the most with this monster? With J-Ts, I’m thinking I don’t have the best hand now, but a hand with a lot of potential. What is the smartest way to play it so I win the most and lose the least? In fact, the right way to play each of these four hands in any given situation is often completely different than the right way to play the other three.

Perry Friedman:

Well, there is some variety between these hands. A-K suited is a much bigger hand and should be played differently than J-T suited. However, the high suited connectors offer a lot of opportunity if played correctly.

Jesse Jones:

If in position, raise; if not, call.

Howard Lederer:

Totally different things depending on which hand I have. A-Ks is a monster, and J-Ts is very marginal.

A lot of players limp with these hands. Do you prefer to limp or make a standard raise with them? How much does it depend on position?

Perry Friedman:

Other than A-K, position (and action) is everything with these hands. I will almost always come in raising with A-K, but with the others, I will raise if I am in late position and no one has opened. If I am in early position, I will sometimes raise and sometimes limp, and even sometimes just throw it away depending on my table.

Howard Lederer:

I always like to come in for a raise. I would have to be in late position with all folds to me before I would even play J-Ts or Q-Js. I would have to be in middle position or better to play K-Qs, and I would open raise with A-Ks from any position.

Jesse Jones:

Position is everything!

How does the number of players already in the pot determine your action with a hand like this?

Howard Lederer:

If there were two limpers already in, I would then start to consider limping from middle position or better with all the hands except A-K suited. I would raise with that hand regardless of the number of limpers.

Perry Friedman:

If there is an opener or limper and several flat-callers, I am more likely to limp with these hands and hope to flop something big.

Greg Raymer:

If no one has entered the pot, I’m either going to raise or fold with all of these hands, and usually raise. With A-Ks, I’m pretty much always going to at least make it to the flop, and often to the river. With the weaker hands, the number of opponents and whether or not there is a raise makes a huge difference in whether and how strongly I will play them.

POST-FLOP

The flop hits, and you have neither a flush nor a straight draw. You have garbage.

What’s your action here?

Jesse Jones:

If the texture of the flop is poor, continuation bet; otherwise, check if first to act. In position, bet.

Perry Friedman:

This depends on how I opened the hand. If I came in for a raise, I may make a continuation bet. If I have position and it is checked to me, I may try to take down the pot. However, if there is action or I am in early position, I will check/fold if I miss.

Greg Raymer:

Your default play should be to fold, but of course, it depends. You can always bluff if there is a high enough chance everyone will fold. However, unless you only face one opponent, the chances of everybody folding probably aren’t high enough to justify the bluff attempt.

Howard Lederer:

If I have the lead and it is checked to me, I would tend to take a small shot at the pot.

You hit a two-way straight draw only, but no flush possibility. You’re last to act and it’s bet and raised in front of you. What do you do?

Greg Raymer:

With a bet and a raise before you, you usually have to fold. You almost certainly don’t have the best hand now, and you’re not getting the right price, since for all you know the original bettor is going to raise it again, driving you out. Don’t waste the money on the first call.

Perry Friedman:

I will either flat call or I will fold, depending on whether I think the original bettor will likely raise again. If I think the original bettor will reraise, I will fold my draw without the additional flush outs.

Jesse Jones:

Fold, unless the pot odds are there.

Howard Lederer:

If it is a bet and a raise to me, I would tend to fold.

You hit a four-flush with no straight and you’re first up. Check or bet?

Perry Friedman:

If I limped preflop, I will limp again and try to get there cheaply. If I came in for a raise, I will make a continuation bet like normal. I don’t want to give away much about the type of hand I have.

Howard Lederer:

I would tend to bet. I like to give myself two ways to win the pot: steal it right there or hit later.

Even better: You’re four to a flush and have a two-way straight draw. A zillion outs, but you’re still on a draw. How best to play the semi-bluff?

Perry Friedman:

Again, this depends on position. If I am first up, I may check-raise or just bet out because my hand is so strong. In late position, if it is checked to me, I will bet, but if it is bet, sometimes I will just flat-call and sometimes I will play back strong.

Jesse Jones:

Raise in position, or check-raise if not.

Howard Lederer:

I would tend to play quite aggressively. I would bet and if I got raised, I would move in. Lots of ways to win with this play. Plus, if you are called, you are often the favorite.

Greg Raymer:

When you flop both the flush draw and the open-end straight draw, you’re probably the favorite to win the pot as of now, and if not, you’re certainly not far behind. Play this hand very fast, doing your best to size your bets so that YOU get to make the last all-in raise. This gives you two ways to win the pot. First, they can all fold now, and you will be happy to win what is already in the pot. Second, if anybody calls, you’re happy to race for a big pot as the favorite.

You nail the flop, hitting your straight or your flush on the flop, and it’s the nuts. How do you avoid telegraphing this to the other players? Do you pretend like you’re still on the draw?

Howard Lederer:

If I am in the lead, I would tend to make the same small bet I make when I miss. That disguises my hand (most players would slow-play) and gives me credibility when I am on a steal in a similar spot.

Perry Friedman:

I will play my hand like I would top pair, or possibly as if I am afraid of a draw. I will occasionally trap and slow-play as well. But like most things in poker, this depends on my position and my opponents, as well as the preflop action.

Jesse Jones:

Check or check-raise, depending on flush draws out there.

Have you ever represented being afraid of someone else on the draw? In other words, you represent trips with a straight on the board – you act like you’re fearing the draw, but you’re actually on the draw. Is this a valid strategy?

Perry Friedman:

I will do this sometimes, but it really depends on my opponent(s). I will also sometimes represent being afraid of a draw when I am actually on a MADE hand (for example, there are three hearts on board and I have the nut flush, and I will pretend to be afraid of a heart draw).

Jesse Jones:

Sometimes – always good to mix it up. The type of opponents come more into play here.

Howard Lederer:

That is a simple semi-bluff strategy. When you are afraid of the draw, you tend to play the hand fast. If you play it fast, you are, again, giving yourself two ways to win; steal or get there.

You miss the turn and the river and don’t fill up the flush or the straight. You’re first up. The only way you can win is to bet. Is this a check/fold situation, since it may be obvious you missed, or do you take a final stab at it?

Howard Lederer:

It depends on how I played it. If I played it fast, I might take another stab. If I played it at all like I had a draw, I would tend to give it up and check.

Perry Friedman:

I will usually check/fold, but once again, this depends on my opponent(s) and if I think THEY may have also been on a draw. I may take a stab at the pot, depending on how the action has gone.

Greg Raymer:

This is most often a check/fold situation, but as always, if there is a high enough chance that everyone will fold if you bet, then it is a good time for a bluff. But almost everyone bluffs too much, so you must learn to be realistic when it comes to estimating the chances of your bluff being a success.