How to Play Suited Connectors in 6-Max No-Limit Hold’em

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: January 16, 2025

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Suited connectors can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

For most professional poker players though, it definitely leans toward the love affair.

It’s easy to understand why: suited connectors can make both straights and flushes, which are ultimately the true “big pot” hands.

Sure, big pocket pairs will win you a high number of small pots. But suited connectors will win you the biggest ones.

How to Play Suited Connectors

That said, suited connectors are not so strong that every time you’re dealt them you should be in the pot. Suited connectors are still a drawing hand and need to be treated as such. In other words, you need to look for the right situations.

Because suited connectors can make big-pot hands, they should often be played before the flop. The problem is that although they make big-pot hands, straights and flushes don’t come around nearly as much as we would like.

So limping and hoping to hit hard just ends up with you bleeding money in the long run.

The proper way to play suited connectors in short-handed games is to play them aggressively. Limping is a no-no.

When you’re aggressive with your suited connectors, you give yourself the most ways to win.

You can win the pot immediately, you can take advantage of your initiative on the flop and win with a continuation bet, or you can win by making the best hand by showdown.

Just because aggression is good doesn’t mean you should raise them every time however.

You have to be wary of your position. Position, as always, is a major factor when deciding how to play your suited connectors.

Example:
You are in middle position holding 9 8 . One early position player limps, and you decide to raise to 3 big blinds. The limper calls, and everyone else folds. The flop comes J 7 2 . You have a flush draw plus a potential straight draw if a 10 arrives. Because you raised pre-flop, you can make a continuation bet. Even if you don’t hit your draw immediately, the fold equity you gained by raising can often take the pot right away.

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How to Play Suited Connectors in Early Position

Much of the power in suited connectors comes from when they flop a draw. But playing draws out of position tends to be very difficult.

When you’re out of position your opponent controls the hand and you’re left playing by his rules. Because of this, most suited connectors are not profitable from early position.

Occasionally, with the right table dynamic, you can raise suited connectors like 10 9  or J 10  from early position to mix up your play and balance your range, but for the most part they should just be folded.

Playing suited connectors from out of position is a difficult thing to do and unless you play extremely well post-flop, it’s a break-even proposition at best.

As you get closer to the button though you can start to add more suited connectors into your mix. You want to play these hands aggressively, bringing them in for a raise.

You should still throw away the smallest suited connectors, as they still are too weak to show a positive expectation, but from two off the button a hand like 8 7  is fit for a raise.

When you’re in the cut-off or the button, almost all suited connectors are raiseworthy when folded to. You will often find yourself winning the pot before the flop without showdown or up against a single, out-of-position opponent.

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How Do I Play Suited Connectors Post-Flop?

Playing suited connectors post-flop can be tricky for some players, which is why it’s not a good idea to limp in with them.

Limping in gives you no initiative. You’ll often miss the flop completely or make one small pair with no clue as to where you stand.

When you raise first in, you gain the initiative in the hand and can often take the pot down on the flop with a continuation bet. Take a look at the board texture.

Is it likely to have helped your opponent? Does it look like it could have helped your hand? If the answer to either of these is yes then it really doesn’t matter what you hold. Fire a continuation bet. You will often win the pot without a fight.

If you flopped a pair or a draw or even a combo draw, you’re obviously in an even better position.

Despite the fact that raising pre-flop with suited connectors is becoming more standard, many opponents still are unable to put you on them after a raise. If you end up making a straight or a flush on a later street your hand is often disguised as your opponent will still figure you for big cards.

If you hold a monster that your opponent cannot put you on, you stand to make a lot of money.

Example:
You open-raise to 2.5 big blinds with K Q in late position, and one player calls from the big blind. The flop comes 8 5 4 . You have two overcards and a flush draw. A continuation bet here applies pressure on a wide range of hands your opponent might hold, and it can also build a pot for you if you hit your flush or king/queen on later streets.

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What About Against a Raise?

Although suited connectors can often be raised when you’re first into the pot, when you’re facing a raise it’s seldom profitable to play them.

That’s because you will be left without initiative and you leave yourself only one way to win the pot.

The exception is if you find yourself in late position against a weak player’s opening raise and you either know you can outplay him after the flop. Or you know that he sucks at folding after the flop and thus will pay you his stack should you hit.

In those few situations you can flat-call from the cut-off or button and play poker from there.

The “Light” Three-Bet and You

Occasionally you may decide to three-bet suited connectors against a raise. This is not for value, since your opponent almost surely has a better hand than you.

This is what is known as a “light” three-bet – the idea being that your aggressive opponent is opening lots of hands before the flop and you know he is doing it with weak hands.

You can reraise him with your suited connectors because he is often going to fold before the flop, forfeiting the pot to you.

Suited connectors are great for this purpose because they make excellent “Plan B” hands. Plan A, of course, is to win the pot without showdown before the flop.

However, you will get called from time to time, which is where Plan B comes in. Suited connectors can still make big-pot hands after the flop.

With your reraise you’re relying on the fold equity of your raise, but you also have the equity of suited connectors which are a strong drawing hand to fall back on.

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Poker is a Game of Situations

Pocket pairs and suited connectors are very similar in a six-max game. They are both drawing hands that should be played aggressively before the flop.

After the flop you need to put your opponent on a range and analyze the strength of your hand before deciding how to proceed.

A lot of the time you are going to win the pot with little resistance from your opponent; other times you are going to have to make a hand.

Poker is a game of situations, and there is no cookie-cutter way to approach playing after the flop. You need to take all of the table dynamics into consideration before choosing your line.

Just remember, suited connectors are strong, but much of their value comes from getting folds from your opponents. Just calling and hoping for a miracle flop is going to leave you penniless and depressed.

So use your brain: raise when you are first in, in position, and play poker after the flop. The rest is easy!

Deeper Insights into Suited Connector Play

Players who master suited connectors understand both theoretical concepts and practical table dynamics. The key is to be aware of stack sizes, opponent tendencies, and table image. A balanced combination of aggression and strategic hand selection often maximizes profit and reduces guesswork in tricky spots. While it might be tempting to label these hands as purely speculative, a well-timed raise or three-bet can transform a mediocre hand into a profit maker, especially against predictable opponents. Suited connectors can also turn into disguised monsters by the river, making them invaluable for deceptive play.

Adjusting to Different Stack Depths

Shorter stacks typically have less room to maneuver post-flop, so playing suited connectors aggressively with shallow chips can be dangerous. This is because you may face an all-in decision too early, and you lose the advantage of seeing multiple streets. Deeper stacks, however, let you leverage your drawing potential for bigger payouts. You can make more bets on later streets, and your opponents might incorrectly assume you are playing big broadway hands. By paying attention to stack depth, you will know when it’s better to forego suited connectors and when to pull the trigger.

Modern Poker Concepts

Some professionals integrate balanced ranges and GTO-style thought processes with suited connectors, especially when defending in late position. A solver might show that hands like 7 6 or 9 8 can be part of a well-constructed three-bet range at specific frequencies, depending on your opponents’ tendencies. When combined with accurate reads and knowledge of post-flop board textures, you can execute more profitable bluffs, semi-bluffs, and value bets by carefully weaving these draws into your overall strategy.

Example:

You hold 8 7 in the cutoff and face a raise from the hijack. Using a solver, you determine that a balanced three-bet range includes 20% of hands. Within this range, 8 7 should be three-bet approximately 2% of the time. This frequency ensures that your range remains unexploitable, as your opponents cannot easily adjust their calling or folding strategies against you. By adhering to these proportions, you maintain a balanced approach that leverages the potential of suited connectors without overcommitting.

FAQ

What are suited connectors?

Suited connectors are sequentially ranked cards of the same suit, such as 7 6 or 9 8 . They have the potential to form straights and flushes, making them powerful drawing hands when played under the right conditions.

Why is aggression key when playing suited connectors?

By raising or three-betting, you gain fold equity and disguise your true holding. This allows you to win pots before showdown or later in the hand when you hit your draw. Limping, on the other hand, often leaves you with no clear plan and little initiative.

How do I decide whether to play suited connectors from early position?

Playing them from early position can be challenging because you act first post-flop and lose control of the betting action. Unless you have a deep understanding of your opponents and post-flop strategy, it is often safer to fold these hands in early position.

What adjustments should I make with shallow or deep stacks?

With shallow stacks, you have less freedom to see multiple streets and realize your equity, so suited connectors can become risky. With deeper stacks, you can afford to play more aggressively and capitalize on disguised draws that can lead to large pots.

When is it correct to call a raise with suited connectors?

Calling a raise with these hands is most profitable when you are in late position against weaker opponents or those who fold too often post-flop. You can then use your position to outplay them with a combination of aggression and better board reading.

What does a “light” three-bet with suited connectors mean?

A light three-bet is made when you suspect your opponent is opening with a wide range of weaker hands. By reraising, you aim to win immediately through fold equity. If you get called, suited connectors still retain good playability post-flop.

How do modern GTO approaches influence suited connector play?

A solver-oriented approach might indicate that certain suited connectors should be included at specific frequencies in both calling and three-bet ranges. The goal is to keep your range balanced, denying your opponents reliable reads while maximizing your own EV in different scenarios.

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