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Revision as of 22:36, 5 May 2009 by 24.201.112.15 (talk) (→External links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Suited connectors is a poker term referring to pocket cards that are suited and are close enough to each other that they can form a straight on the flop. For example: A♠ 3♠, Q♥ J♥, 5♦ 9♦ are all suited connectors because they can form a flush or a straight on the flop. A hand like A♠ 7♠ is not considered a suited connector because although it is suited, the cards together do not help form a straight. Suited connectors with no gap between them (Q♥ J♥) are referred to as no gap suited connectors. Suited connectors like A♠ 3♠ are considered one gap suited connectors since there is one gap between the two cards. You can also have two and three gap suited connectors, such as 3♠ 6♠ and 5♦ 9♦. In Texas hold'em, suited connectors play well against multiple players when they can see the flop for cheap. A player will generally not raise with them, because raising usually causes a few players to fold, decreasing the pot odds in the event of a straight or flush draw on the flop. However, a hand like ace-king suited might do well to raise because the cards will also work well if they pair, which is the more likely possibility, so the pot odds are less important.
Some people consider the definition of a suited connector as being only consecutive, suited cards. So in the examples above with this definition, only Q♥ J♥ would be considered a suited connector.
Suited connectors in cash games
Suited cannectors are notorious for being especially effective in deep stack poker. On live broadcasted poker shows, professionals often call raises and re-raises with suited connectors in an attempt to win a big pot. Large stacks increase the value of suited connectors dramatically because of larger implied odds. In tournament play, where the stacks are shallow, suited connectors are very marginal hands that do not play very well at all. The idea behind suited connectors is that it will mostly fold on the flop, but when it hits a quality draw or a made hand, it should be willing to call bets in order to win the opponents entire stack. In Harrington on Cash Games, a chapter is dedicated on explaining the poker paradox: "Big hands" such as AA and KK tend to win small pots, and "small hands" such as 4-2 of spades tend to win big pots, simply because the small hands create well-concealed monsters and will only continue when they hit.