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I dont usually agree with you Aok but this forum is a good place to talk about this.

Suited cards / ACES with the exception of prime hands (AT and higher) are no better than their offsuited counter parts. AXs wins only because you DRAW to a NUT hand. If you're a newbie and you like to play suited aces remeber that they should only be done from late POS and with a lot of limpers. Think about suited cards like this. If I cant have the nut hand why play 'em? These hands were made for one simple reason (THE NUT FLUSH). Later on you can think about flopping two pair.

How many times have you chased a flush connected and then got stomped by a bigger flush...Me personally about a million I think. Hold the nuts when you have a flush.

Suited connectors are much more value to some people because of their ability to make str8s and flushes. I dont value them more than AXs because I dont value it at all. This hand does you no good without a flush or a str8 or twopair.

If you want to make money and sufficiently build your BR learn to lay these hands down preflop to any sign of strength or when the number of limpers doesnt justify.

Originally Posted by aokrongly

I see this alot when people ask me to review their hand histories. J9s (call), K4s (call), A6s (call). And they can't understand why they are having trouble. Suited cards have minimal more value than unsuited. I'm not a stats guy, so I'm sure there's an exact %. But, they give you "another out" and nothing more.

Being suited is HUGE in a limit game because flush draws are protected by the betting structure. Also, you will often catch other outs while chasing a flush. Even a backdoor flush can make a marginal call profitable. In No Limit the value-add is smaller. Then again in No Limit position and the action in front is more important than your hole cards.

Originally Posted by aokrongly

You call with A6 of spades. Flop comes A92 (No Spades, or one spade). There's a bet in front of you and you Call It! Why are you calling it? Do you think the A (weak kicker) is the best hand? If that's the case then why aren't you raising it?

Sometimes calling is correct (mostly heads-up) because raising will slow down an aggressor you may have beat, but raising will open you up to a re-raise.

Originally Posted by aokrongly

You see what happened? You forgot WHY you were in the hand and now you're dominated and won't let it go. That's why I hate Axs. People who would never play Axo, for some reason, play Axs repeatedly. "But I could flop the nut flush!!!" Sure, but for every time you do you piss away more chips than you make on it by not flopping the flush and staying in the hand. Not to mention the flush doesn't flop that often, and when you flop 4 to the flush, anyone with a clue (in no limit) will make you pay poor odds to go fishing for the 5th card.

Domination post-flop is over-rated. Particularly with a bunch of money in the pot pre-flop.

BTW, all of my Axs are profitable. I'll take 'em over a suited connector any day.

Originally Posted by aokrongly

And that leads to playing Kxs, Q9s and a host of other equally crappy hands.

Well, sligtly better than crappy. Sometimes you just have to play a hand...

I want to argue, but you suit keeps causing my eyes to tear!

Since this is in the Beginner's circle, let me say that Fnord is a sophisticated, experienced player. Based on the situation Fnord can probably win pots with Uno cards, or playing blind (not looking at his cards at all).

I'll qualify my post with this statement:

If you aren't playing an advanced strategy and you are calling preflop with suited cards hoping to flop or fish for a flush, you're leaking chips, especially in no limit.

(and I'll say I don't play limit... the phrase "watching paint dry" comes to mind for me)

Limit is a better game for some people. No limit is certainly not the place to learn how to play poker. It may be like watching paint dry, but anyone who is remotely concerned with being successful will be watching everything and learning while they are not playing a particular hand.

And saying Fnord could win hands with Uno cards is a bit rediculous. I can also promise he wouldnt have very good luck playing blind either. He's a good player, that's obvious, but lets be careful who we idolize.