http://archives1.twoplustwo.com/show...0&fpart=4&vc=1
In the thread above about suited connectors there is a post by skinn04 on how to play suited connectors strongly.
Is the advice good for live NLH ?
I have copied the post here:
Sooted Aces:
Value #1 Can make nut flush and stack people with non-nut flush.
Ideal Pot Type: Multiway unraised.
Good Flop: NFD.
Way to Play the Hand:
Hopefully see the draw for free or cheaply. Bad to push out worse draws flush draws and get heads up with TPTK-type made hand.
Importance of position:
Very high.
Being in a multiway unraised pot is infinitely easier from late position. Seeing draws cheaply is much easier, too. A lot of the implied odds of making flush over flush gets killed when having to call a preflop raise so I don't like to take a sooted ace into a multiway raised pot.
Value #2 Flopping two pairs and winning a large pot from someone holding AK or AQ.
Ideal Pot Type:
Heads up. Raised. Villain with TPTK will fear two pair and sets much more in a multiway pot. Implied odds are not as good there.
Good Flop: Top two pairs.
Way to Play the Hand:
If only the ace flops, call a small bet and fold to further action. With two pairs try to start building a pot as soon as possible. Make modest bets and raises whenever possible to facilitate getting all-in.
Importance of Position:
Very important. Being heads up is important because TPTK is less likely to go broke multiway, fearing sets/2 pairs. Implied are much worse that way IMO. If the NFD is flopped, it's much easier to either see it for cheap or to semi-bluff villains out of the pot from position.
When to play sooted aces:
I play weak sooted aces (AJ-ish and down) from late position. I limp after limpers. I call a raiser OTB if no one else has called and it isn't likely to get reraised behind. If the pot is unopened, I raise from CO or OTB to steal the blinds. I'd only call a raise from the blinds if the raise was small and I thought I was getting good implied odds.
How much are sooted aces worth paying to play preflop?
I don't have OP printed so I'm going from memory but I think the chances of flopping the NFD or two pairs+ is 9% + 3% = 12%. I'd guesstimate winning about 1/3 of the effective stacks when these hands hit (NFD is just a draw after all). Thus, I wouldn't be willing to call more than 4% of my stack to see a flop with a sooted ace.
Sooted connectors and sooted one gaps
Okay. So I got sick or formatting stuff.
Caveat: These cards are very profitable but I think they must be played in a high variance way in order to make that money. Talk to Doyle.
Obvious observation:
Many times these hands flop non-nut draws. It is exceptionally important to either fastplay or fold non-nut draws in multiway pots. I can't think of a quicker way to go broke than overcalling flop bets with a six-high flush draw. I don't take free cards when I flop flush draws or flush draw + other outs when my flush draw could break me.
Another obvious observation
Don't draw when the hand could be dead. Doesn't matter if it's possibly live. Let the pot go.
Trickiness:
I like OESD on two-flush boards because I can get paid a lot when someone thinks I'm over-betting a busted flush draw on the end.
Preflop:
I'll usually take a flop the cheapest way possible in any pot that hasn't been reraised or raised big. I don't care if I'm playing multiway or heads up. Don't care about in position or out of position. I'll open limp from EP or sometimes I'll raise. Same goes for almost all positions. I'll open raise a little more as I get closer to the button, but I mostly like to limp these cards. Oh, sometimes I throw in a reraise if I think the OR is light and will lay down.
Flopping one pair:
I've got to be heads up to care. Otherwise I'm folding all one-pair hands to any reasonable bet. If I'm heads up and in position I'll call one bet with middle pair and try to steal the pot on the turn or maybe play for a showdown. It varies. If I'm OOP I just fold. If I flop top pair, I'll call a bet in position or OOP and play for a showdown. I'll lay down to a second barrel, usually, though. Some might say this strategy is exploitable but I'd play TPTK the same way (only not folding it to the second barrel very often).
The strategy I have one cardinal rule that I try never to violate. If I flop any of those 20-25% percent of hands we've been talking about in this post, I play to get my money all-in, but I do it in PSB increments. I don't care if I'm in position or OOP. If I bet and get raised, I 3-bet. If I'll have less than a PSB left for the next street then I push. Simple. If I get called, I pot it on the next street. If I'm still called and I've got a lot left for a river bluff I'll frequently fire as big as I can there too. It takes STONES to call three PSB with top pair. A hidden gem about this strategy is that it tends to push out better flush draws so I don't hit and lose big pots. It also tends to get people giving me lots of money and then folding without a showdown. Try it.
Leading into the raiser:
I'll almost always do it. I'm not trying to c/r very often unless the stacksizes are right for c/r all-in. Even then I'd rather bet sometimes. I don't want a free card coming off. If he's weak enough to give one I'd rather steal the pot. If he's got one pair I want to put him in a game theoretic bind.
Modifications:
Some players I know won't raise the flop without a HUGE hand. I'm not 3-betting that player. I'm calling if I think I have enough implied odds to try to hit. If not, I'll tuck my tail and fold.
If I get raised on the flop and I think this player is testing me then I'm definitely 3-betting and potting it into him on the next street. I actually like being OOP here just as much as being in position.
Bluffing the river:
If I just know the other guy isn't laying down, I don't burn my money. I'll give up with a busted draw much of the time. However, he only has to fold 50% of the time for a roughly PSB bluff to be the right play. I'll make sure to make PSB value bets when I think I've got him. Even if he doesn't pay off when I've got a made hand, that means he's folding to me when I did have a busted draw and decide to bluff.
The corollary:
Small pocket pairs.
Preflop I'll play the same way as suited connectors when I have a small pocket pair. When I flop a set I'll play the same way as when I flop one of the 25% of good hands with a suited connector. Adding sets to my range of fastplay hands really puts someone with hands as good as AA in a bad spot.
I found this strategy to be very hard to play against with deep stacks. I think it's very strong from a game theoretic perspective. Thus, I adopted it.
Stack Depth Requirements:
I'd like to be deep enough to fire three full PSB's if possible.
Say someone raises to 4BB from EP and gets two callers. After I call the pot with be 17BB. (Hero expendatures, potsize)
Flop(4BB, 17BB). PSB, call.
Turn(21BB, 51BB). PSB, call.
River(72BB, 152BB). PSB, call.
(Hero uses 224BB).
The preflop call is only about 2% on my stack but I'd call more up to about 5% because the pot is multiway and I could make some bigger $$$ when I flop two pairs against an overpair type hand.
Say someone raises to 4BB, Hero is the only caller.
Flop (4BB, 9BB). PSB, call.
Turn (13BB, 27BB). PSB, call.
River (40BB, 51 BB). PSB, call.
(Hero uses 91 BB).
The preflop call is 4.5 or ~%5 of my stack.
I'm not sure how to quantify what the correct calling percent is but for me I want the number to be close to 5% of the effective stacks so I can play the most profitably after the flop.
