PLAY SUITED CONNECTORS!

So after a very long day playing hold'em, including an arguement with a very unnecessarily rude waitress, I've decided to write about the importance of playing suited connectors and gapped suited connectors. This includes hands like 5 6 suited, 8 9 suited, 3 5 suited, 6 8 suited, etc. I'd also like to talk about the importance of calling a large bet with 3 or 4 callers in position (being last to act) with a low hand (3 5 suited, etc.)

Anyhow, play suited connectors. Not only do they potentially give you draws to a straight, but they also allow you to make your flushes, or, if you're lucky, straight flushes. Anyhow, an example from a hand I played yesterday; I had 7 8 of diamonds pre-flop, with decent position (there were 2 or 3 people behind me, but I sensed weakness and thought they might fold to a big bet on the flop, which they eventually did). I was faced with a medium sized raise from the small blind, which I called, as did one person in front of me and one behind. The flop came 5-9-K with two diamonds, giving me a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw (needing the 6 for a straight). The initial raiser checked the flop, as did the other person in front of me. I bet half the pot, and the person behind me folded, giving me position on the turn. The small blind (the initial raiser) called the bet, and the other player folded. On the turn came a 6, giving me the nut straight. The small blind, to my surprise, bet the pot, and I smoothcalled after some "thought". The river was irrelevant, as the small blind bet the pot again. I "thought" for a minute, and went all in. After some deliberation, I was called and I won the rather healthy pot. Playing connectors makes it harder for your opponents to put you on straights, as you have two cards needed to make the hand, instead of just one in the middle, for example. They're a tricky hand to play sometimes, but I say give them a try, you'll probably find them very useful.

Even though I actually LOST money yesterday, playing throughout the day/night reinforced a few valuable lessons I had learned in the past, which I thought I'd share with those of you that read my blog.

Lesson 1: just because you flop a set with two Queens on the board, doesn't mean you have the nuts. Someone can have a Q with a higher kicker, or a boat with the 3rd flop card making them a set. Don't be blinded by what you think is the nuts, evaluate the situation before making reckless calls. Sometimes your set won't be the best hand.

Lesson 2: When a player in early position makes a big three bet raise (raises three times the initial bet or, in the case of preflop action, the pot), and two or three people call behind him, evaluate what sorts of hands they'd be calling with. Chances are they're all calling with BIG hands, like A K, A Q, K Q, etc. This means that if you have a hand like 3 5 suited, there are more cards in the deck that you can catch to win, seeing as they all have each other's outs, and no one has yours. So me, with position called with 3 5 suited, and got lucky with a flop of 3 3 K. It was checked to me, so I decided I'd try to set a little trap and checked as well. On the turn came a 7, again, everyone checked. The river came yet ANOTHER 3, giving me quads. To my surprise, it was checked all the way down to me, so I decided to bet the pot, making it look like I was trying to steal. Everyone folded save for one person, who looked at me curiously and called with pockets Qs (which was a little bit of justice for me as I had lost two or three all-ins earlier in the day with pocket Qs). I turned over my tiny 3 5 suited and won the pot. So next time you're in a similar situation pre-flop, consider what all of your opponents are calling a big bet with, your small hand might actually be a favourite.

Nick