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 Playing Suited Connectors and Semi Connectors.
Suited connectors and semi connectors are hands that a lot of people underestimate or call trash hands. These hands may appear that way at first glance however they are great hidden hands that can win you huge pots when they hit.
Suited Connectors are hands that are of the same suit and they are connected like 7 and 8 of spades 4 and 5 of diamonds. These hands have the potential to become strong drawing hands. They have a lot of straight and flush possibilities, plus when you call a raise or raise preflop with these hands and you hit you are likely to win a huge pot because no one will put you on a hand like this.
Semi Connectors are much like suited connectors, they are of the same suit and separated by one card. Semi connector are hands like 10 8 of Hearts, 7 9 of Clubs. These are what semi connector’s look like. These hands much like suited connectors are great hidden hands that have straight and flush potential. These hands are even better when you hit because no one would think you would raise or call a raise with these hands.
These hands are great hidden hands that have the potential to win you a huge stack of chips plus they also help you with switching up your game. If all you ever raise with is premium hands like AA, KK, AK, AQ eventually people will stop calling you because they know if you made a preflop raise you have a monster hand. This will cause you to not make money on your strong hands. So use a hand like suited semi connectors or connectors to switch it up and keep everyone guessing as to what you raise with. When you take down a pot with a hand like this other players at the table will not know what to put you on and they will probably give you more action when you raise preflop because they will think you are loose.
Now lets talk about how to play a hand like this. If you get semi connectors and you have decent position, which means you, are on the button or close enough to steal it. Make a raise to maybe 3 times the blinds with them if no one else raises. This will maybe chase out a few limpers and it will build you a pot if you hit. Even just doubling the blinds with this hand is a good idea. You are not favored going in to the hand however if you hit 1 out of 10 times and you will usually win a big pot when you his so it becomes worth it. So let’s say you have the button and you catch 10 8 of spades. Everyone limps in so with your good position and hidden hand you triple the blinds a few people fold and two people call. This preflop raise does one of several things it gives you a read on your opponents and it also gives you control of the hand. With your good position and preflop raise you should be in a favorable position to take the pot down even if you don’t hit. Especially if you know the players you are playing against lets say they are tight making the preflop raise gives you an idea of what they maybe holding. If they are tight they probably have over cards on you. Which also means that if you hit and they hit top pair you are likely to take their entire stack. Ok so the flop comes Ace of Spades 9 of Hearts and 7 of Spades. Now this is your dream flop with this kind of hand you have an open-ended straight draw and flush draw. The first guy who is a tight player makes a bet so now with him calling the preflop raise you can be pretty sure he has the ace. But now since you have position and a hidden hand you are in control. The other guy folds and now the action is to you. You can do one of two things here. You can reraise on a semi bluff since you have multiple outs or you can just call. Lets say you choose option two and call. The turn comes with a 6 of clubs. Now you just hit the straight and he will never see it coming. You now he is going to bet again and that is when you can reraise and take his entire stack.
That is how you play this kind of hand. You can call small preflop raises with it before the flop if you are in bad position and hope to hit a favorable draw, however the best position to play this hand from is when you are close to the button and you can control the action.
If you have another way to play these hands join our poker forum and tell us about it.
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