Expert Plays for No Limit Tournaments
How to Play Suited Connectors
Suited connectors are hands of the same suit which are close in rank.
For example, if you had the 10 and Jack of clubs you hold a no gap suited connector. A one-gap suited connector is a hand like a 9 and J of spades since there is one rank missing between the cards you hold. A two-gap suited connector would be a hand like a 4 and 7 of diamonds since there are two ranks between these cards. The more connected the cards the better your chances of making a straight.
Since suited connectors can be difficult hands to play in a no limit tournament, here are the best moves:
1. Early on in a no limit poker event, you want to see a flop cheap with these hands, and play against multiple opponents. You are risking a few chips with your call for the opportunity to win a big pot.
2. Starting at the middle stages of a tournament, you should be more aggressive with your suited connectors and raise pre-flop when first in the hand and in late position.
The objective of this play is to steal the blinds as players tend to tighten up in the later the stage of a tournament. Even if you are called, your pre-flop raise allows you to win with a continuation bet on the flop.
3. You can call a pre-flop raiser with suited connectors (if you don't think someone will re-raise behind you) since you are giving yourself an opportunity to win a big pot.
For example, your opponent raises your big blind with Ace-King and you are the only caller with 6-7 suited. If the flop comes 6-7-A, you are going to win a big pot.
4. If there is a raise in late position from a player who is loose (raises too often pre-flop), you can even re-raise this player from the button or blinds with suited connectors. This play is an advanced move, but your opponent probably has a weaker hand than he is representing and your re-raise represents a premium hand. Therefore, you will win a bigger pot as he is most likely going to fold.
Pros have learned the best moves with suited connectors, have you?
Bonus: Here is the Simple Secret
to Winning a Poker Tournament
Here is the secret: Raise. It's that simple. Raise, raise & raise again. If you are not raising, you are not winning.
In a poker tournament there are opportunities starting from the middle of the tournament to accumulate chips by simply raising without big hands. One reason is that many players want to survive and play it safe. Another reason is that after a long time period, players who know winning poker is aggressive poker, revert back to their comfort zone of playing a smart, cautious style.
When you notice you have fallen into the trap of playing it safe for a long time period, you have an opportunity to raise and steal pots. When you notice that your opponents have fallen back into this style, you have an opportunity to raise and steal pots. You need to accumulate chips, and you can't do that by folding.
Remember that tight, safe play gives you the right to raise and accumulate chips because you have a tight table image. So raise and accumulate chips with a wide range of starting hands.
What about your opponents? Have they tightened up their play? A clear
signal of a tight table is when most hands are won without ever seeing
the flop. If so, that is another signal for you to raise with a wider range of starting hand.
It takes courage to raise without premium hands but that is exactly what the poker pros do to win a poker tournament.
About the Author
Mitchell is a successful
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He is a strategist
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and Hewlett-Packard.
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for international distribution to educate players worldwide.
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