Limit Holdem Suited Connectors An Alternate Approach

[StarlightCoast]

Limit holdem is my game. Is it yours? if it is then pop in your comment or thought and I will post just one of the 4 of 6 hands that have won a pot in a cash game with an alternately played suited connector.

Typical .50/$1 Limit Holdem ring game.

PokerStars Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Poker-Stars (http://www.flopturnriver.com/reviews/Online-Poker-PokerStars.php#converter) Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (http://www.flopturnriver.com)


Preflop: Hero is UTG with Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif, 10http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif


A highish suited connector, but UTG. No odds to call, early position, something you only want in LP, better fold, but what about a different approach.



Hero raises


This is a hand that needs limpers to see a flop, but not necessarily so. You would be amazed at how many blinds i pick up in limit holdem ring games with an aggressive approach by raising 9Ts, JQs, K9s, and even J8s. Even if I get 2 or three callers this works well also because going to the flop I will be getting 4:1 or so to see the turn and this is before anyone makes a bet, so in essence i am forcing the pot odds needed for a flop call and I am, in fact, doing it preflop.

But, you might say, what if you get reraised. Well, it does happen, but that's not altogether bad.


Hero raises, 1 fold, UTG+2 3-bets, 3 folds, CO caps, 3 folds, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls


Getting 5:1 to make the call especially when I have 2 small bets is already. yeah I call this one everyday. Whether i forced it or whether it was forced back on me the minimum odds I will be getting on that flop is about 7:1. Any draw, I've got the odds. Even if i flop top pair and feel i am against an overpair this whole situation gives me the odds to go after the 5 outs to trips or 2 pair. if none of these situations happen I lay it down easily and quietly



Flop: (13.5 SB) 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/spade.gif, 9http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif, Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/spade.gif (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 bets, CO raises, Hero calls, UTG+2 calls


2 small bets to call and I'm getting 7:1 to hit a straight. Hell yeah! Only need 5:1 and i am already ahead of that.



Turn: (9.75 BB) Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/club.gif (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 checks, CO bets, Hero raises, UTG+2 calls, CO 3-bets, Hero caps, UTG+2 calls, CO calls


Uh Oh. I got the nuts now, but I KNOW I'm up against a set and probably the flush draw also, but i got to play it like it's dealt and hope for a non threatening river card. You have to have good post flop skills in these situations and you must know when to back it off if a threat card hits like the third club or a paired board. So often players refuse to believe they are beat by a scare card. If that's you, don't try this at home folks. :cool:


River: (21.75 BB) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/club.gif (3 players)
Hero bets, UTG+2 raises, CO calls, Hero 3-bets, UTG+2 calls, CO calls


Yesssssssss! Life is Good!!! And a raiser for me to reraise. Got to love that.


Total pot: $30.75 (30.75 BB) | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero had Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif, 10http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif (straight, Ace high).
UTG+2 had Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/diamond.gif, Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif (three of a kind, Aces).
CO had Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/diamond.gif, Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/images/smiles/heart.gif (three of a kind, Queens).
Outcome: Hero won $30.25


This is not going to work everytime, but the times it does the pots can be quite large as you saw. A 30bb pot in a limit game is excellent. Thoughts and opinions welcome for and against.

[Sick Fish]

Nice post SC.

I LOVE suited connectors in a limit game especially when the flop brings a lot of possibilities to make a hand like it did for you. You have so many ways to play them and yet you almost never put yourself in a position to lose a lot of your stack if you don't make a hand by the river.

[Kat]

To answer your original question, LHE used to be my game until it got difficult. Bread and butter was $25/50 at PokerRoom and $15/30 at Bellagio. And I was a big fan of suited connectors (soocons) possibly because I was a Swiss lesbian at the time.

However, against observant opponents, if you make a habit of EP raises with soocons and 1-gappers your PFR %s are going to look too high and people start making isolation plays and generally making life a pain in the ass. So around 2004 I decided that UTG and UTG+1 the only "avant garde" hand I would open raise would be 86s. (It's now known as The Kat thanks to the fact I put it in Urban Dictionary.) It's a great image play because "slightly observant" opponents see this and decide you're a maniac. And then they pay you off when you OR AK and the flop comes AKx.

[PokerRef]

I would definitely play the hand even if it is raised, but I would just limp in to try and see the flop as cheap as possible.

[StarlightCoast]

Limp when first in the pot??? No, no, no. Negative, negatory, no way, forget it, nada......... :cool:

[Kat]

Limp when first in the pot??? No, no, no. Negative, negatory, no way, forget it, nada......... :cool:

I mostly agree, but out of interest, how would you handle the following situations:

1. LHE full-ring, neutral game texture, 77 UTG.

2. LHE full-ring, loose-passive, open folded to you in UTG+2, A5s.

[PokerRef]

I don't play ring games at all, and know that there are subtle differences needed to play in each. I find that there is less bluffin that goes on in LHE so you need to have the goods because most hands go to showdown. I find that regardless if I open the pot from early position with a raise, I will get re-raised, so I play more passively and save a bet, being I'm not afraid to call raises with the cards I choose to play.
Your table image in a ring game is more critical I would think so in that case I would agree to open pots with a raise instead of the limp so you might take the hand down right there. To answer Kats question, I would limp with the 77 and raise with the A5s. Both are nice hands is a ring game, but think the A5s has a better chance post flop.

[StarlightCoast]

I mostly agree, but out of interest, how would you handle the following situations:

1. LHE full-ring, neutral game texture, 77 UTG.

2. LHE full-ring, loose-passive, open folded to you in UTG+2, A5s.



1. Raise Preflop.

2. Ooooo you are a tricky one. That type of hand in that type of game gets your point across loud and clear, but I would have to be pretty damn sure no one after me is going to pop a raise in order for me to open limp. If I even think I'm gonna have to throw 2 bets in on this hand it's in the muck.