Raising suited connectors in the big blind
This is a play I've been experimenting with lately, and I'm curious what others think.
I like hands like JT-suited and T9-suited because they can connect with the board in multiple ways. I know I'm behind preflop and will often miss the flop, but i want to juice the pot as a sort of semibluff. If I have to check-fold the flop, that's OK. My holding is disguised when I do connect, and I can sometimes represent a premium like AK when I don't.
Here are two examples from my last session, a nine-handed $6/$12 game with the usual mix of recs and bad regs.
Hand #1. Four or five limps, the SB completes, and I raise with JT of hearts in the BB. Everyone calls. The flop comes KQ3 with two spades and a diamond. I bet, a few players fold, HJ raises, button cold-calls, and SB folds. I consider reraising but decide to just call on account of the flush draw and my position. The turn is the 9 of hearts, giving me the nut straight. I check, the HJ bets, the button calls, I check-raise, and they both call. There's a good chance at least one of them is drawing dead, and I got them both to put a double-bet in on the turn. The river is the Ace of clubs, so I still have the nuts. I bet, and they both call.
Hand #2. Three or four limps, the SB folds, and I raise with 98 of clubs in the BB. The flop comes K73 with two clubs. I have enough equity to put more money in with my flush draw and backdoor straight door, and I can also represent the King. So I bet and get two callers. The turn is another 7, pairing the board. I check (which I would also do with hands like AK, KQ, or JJ on this card), and it checks around—which tells me that no one has much of anything. The turn is an offsuit 2, a pure blank. Now I bet. Why? Because it's the only way I can win the pot, and I can continue to rep a hand like AK, KQ, or any pocket pair above 7s.
The story I'm telling makes sense; both my opponents quickly fold. I did not show the bluff. If asked, I would have said I had AK, as that seems to be the hand players most often put me on when I raise pre. If someone specifically asked "Ace-King?," I might've replied "King-Queen suited" to make them think that they were close, but I wasn't quite as strong as they thought. Again, I'm trying to tell a convincing story, even after the hand is done.
11 Replies
NH x 2. The tricky part about this play is moreso when it doesn’t work out, which it won’t quite often. I do think that building a pot properly out of the sb and especially the bb can play a huge roll in winning at small stakes.
I’ve played plenty of 8/16 and it’s absolutely crazy to me how many times I’ve seen people check their option with huuuuge hands up to even aces because they are scared to “get cracked”. However even the people that do raise their huge hands often check back strong but not nutted hands.
The important thing is to not get married to your hand and realizing that raising preflop does not entitle you to a win.
Yea, but you can only make that play once in a session. Like your example, by Hand#2, they shouldn't be giving you credit for a Big hand.
The important thing is to not get married to your hand and realizing that raising preflop does not entitle you to a win.
Exactly. That's why I say I'm OK with check-folding the flop if I miss completely. This would not be an auto C-bet, far from it.
Actually, I raised with medium suited connectors in the BB 4x Sunday night.
Hand #3: I raised with QT of clubs. I don't remember all the action, but I flopped a flush draw, rivered a flush, and got raised by the CO, who had K7 of clubs for the win.
Hand #4: I raised with 98 of spades, but the runout was not favorable: 8TQT6. I think I check-called one small bet on the flop, in part because I had a backdoor flush draw. But after that I was done with the hand.
To your larger point about entitlement, I see this a lot, especially in tilted players. They finally get pocket Queens and lose to some random two pair on the river, or they raise with AK of spades, and the flop comes 679, all hearts. Sometimes they berate the players who beat them, sometimes they berate the dealer. But the more frustrated and angry they get, the worse they play. I strive very hard to take all the ups and downs of variance in stride.
“Actually, I raised with medium suited connectors in the BB 4x Sunday night.”
You’re lighting money on fire by doing this four times in one session.
Why? If I connect with the board, it's very hard for my opponents to know what I have, so they'll pay me off. If I don't connect with the board, I can either (a) fold to any bet or (b) rep a premium starting hand and possibly steal the pot. Then when I do raise with premiums (TT+, KQ+), it's harder for my opponents to put me on a hand because I don't just raise with premiums. I'm also loosening up the game by getting everyone to play bigger pots.
That's my rationale. What's your counterargument?
Does 98s have an equity edge vs four limpers? It's close.
Does raising 89s from the BB after four limpers have higher EV than checking? Confident that it does.
4 handed pots (3 limpers + me) dont provide a raw equity overlay for suited connectors lacking high card power.
if you add a fifth player or more(and assume theyre all playing typical weak decapitated ranges), hands like 97s, 98s, T8s, and 87s gain just enough raw equity to look like a solid raise. these hands dont often have the lions share of equity, but having the second best share with overlay is often a reason to raise and reraise. what you dont want is to isolate yourself vs a strong hand; i usually assume nobodys folding nor 3 betting until proven otherwise.
postflop tendencies can move the margin. suited connectors like postflop passivity; free cards = infinite odds. will this table punish my draws postflop? will they let my crappy pairs win checkdown battles?
notice i havent mentioned "repping a hand" nor "telling a story that makes sense." in a 5 way pot vs limpers, i assume the best hand is going to win the pot. the conditions for sneaking in a bluff vs limpers are there sometimes, but this has nothing to do with my decision to raise suited connectors preflop.
notice havent mentioned "repping a hand" nor "telling a story that makes sense." in a 5 way pot vs limpers, i assume the best hand is going to win the pot.
Yeah, as out of practice as I am, this was my initial thought. Maybe online plays very differently to live, because the only way you're winning online in a 4/5-way raised pot is by showing down the best hand.
definitely raise JTs in the sb or bb for value. T9s in the blinds is either way. below that i would check. if you were in CO or btn you should raise more suited connectors.
dont bet the flop if you miss. if you flop middle pair im guessing the play is to bet and keep betting until someone tells you your middle pair is no good.
I remember once in a loose 7.50/15 game on Atlantic City, there were several limpers (at least 4), and I raised JTs in the BB. I bet the flop and everyone folded. Don't even remember if I had flopped anything or not, but I think there was an Ace on the board. I was stunned but happy.
I remember once in a loose 7.50/15 game on Atlantic City, there were several limpers (at least 4), and I raised JTs in the BB. I bet the flop and everyone folded. Don't even remember if I had flopped anything or not, but I think there was an Ace on the board. I was stunned but happy.
hmm, might have to change my POV to you can cbet Jack high on Ace-rag-rag
