Being Suited In Limit Hold'em

Suited connectors have a place in limit Hold'em, but it’s not a very big place.  I did some reading up on suited connectors on the internet and saw that there’s an overemphasis on playing these hands.  It might be carryover from no-limit, where there are more implied odds to play suited connectors.  In limit Hold'em, though, there usually aren’t sufficient implied odds to make it worth playing them because of the limited size of the pots.  Limit Hold'em is about consistently making correct decisions in small pots, not making the occasional big score.

Problems with Playing Suited Connectors

It is because of these limited implied odds that suited connectors usually end up costing you more than they are worth.  The problem with suited connectors is twofold.  First, they will end up costing you more money in preflop costs over time than they will make by winning pots.  The few pots you do win won’t be enough to make up for all those preflop costs.

The second problem with them is that they can get you into trouble if you don’t hit the right flop.  Sometimes you’ll end up with a middle pair and have no idea of where you stand.  Other times you’ll have a low flush draw that ends up costing you money when it runs into a bigger flush draw.  Still other times your low straights will be counterfeited by higher straights.  This is especially true with the low suited connectors like 45s, 56s and 78s.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that suited connectors are more likely to hurt your bottom line than help it.  The only times suited connectors are good to play in limit Hold'em are in late position with at least three other people already in the pot.  You can also occasionally steal with them in late position to mix up your play.

When to Play Them

The main thing to look for with suited connectors is immediate pot odds and high card strength.  Implied odds can’t really be relied upon in this situation, but if you have plenty of immediate pot odds, the chances are pretty good that the pot will grow big enough to make it worthwhile to play a suited connector.  If there are at least three people in the pot and you have position, then it’s not such a bad investment to take a flop with your suited connector.

The higher your suited connector, the less trouble you’ll get into and the more likely you’ll be to win the pot.  Technically, AKs is a suited connector and it will keep you out of all the low card trouble I talked about earlier.  KQs, QJs and TJs are pretty decent too, but they should still be played in late position.  TJs can make the most straights out of any connector, which is a plus, but it can only make a mediocre flush.

Although nothing is more satisfying than scooping a huge pot with a suited connector, you really shouldn’t be playing a whole lot of them.  Remember, you need to have both position and pot odds to make it profitable to play them.  If you can keep both of those requirements in mind, you can still play your suited connectors and make some money at the same time.

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