"shark's cards"

while i have mainly implemented a tight/agg strategy with the starting cards recommended by the groups 0-6 of the FTR website in NL ring games, i find that maybe i should start playing suited connectors b/c of their implied odds. i have been playing quite a while, prolly 30,000 hands online in the past 3 months, and i just feel like my current system is too predictable and only invests in hands that dont usually pull down rewarding pots. i have made a small profit, but not a big enough one to be to my liking. any suggestions from the "sharks" out there on what i should do?

wow tight >.<

in early position i play pretty tight, AJo and better, mid position ill limp or raise w/ anything suited gapped or suited connectors, real late position ill pretty much play anything suited w/ a high card...throwing in raises here and there with random hands depends on the tables environment

Playing cards beyond the premium standards in nl ring a good deal of skill and experience, as well as a bankroll. When you start playing gapped cards, connectors and suited cards just for thier playing value, you need to know how to go about doing so. This method of play can be very profitable, and if you don't have great talent, a good way to lose a large amount of money. In response to your post, which cards you pick to play will not affect the outcome of your roll. Rather the style in which you play cards when you branch out beyond just premium hands. good luck with you ventures

Originally Posted by nikeelevet

where did u get this guide at? do u have a viable link?? im really interested

I love suited connectors, that joy that you discover when you realize how big of a money maker pocket pairs can be you'll re-experience when you start getting paid huge with suited connectors or one gappers.

Really thuogh they are for tighter tables with players that aren't going to limp 103s UTG. At least for me anyway, I don't like playing them with a lot of hands to the flop, 2-4 handed is plenty fine and I won't play them out of position. 4 out of 5 times I raise the same I do with aces on these guys and one gappers. The fifth time I'll just limp them. Really they are at the best when the hand is hidden (Raised preflop) and you have a nice juiced pot to draw on. The preflop aggression might also catch you a slow played set checking to you on the flop, calling a raise and hoping to trap you on the turn which you can cash in for a free card.

If it's a lot of hands to the flop and people playing any two suited I'll swap in AXs instead of the suited connectors/one gappers you might find yourself in trouble with a lot of hands to the flop and you catch a four flush draw. (Though a lot of folks think suited connectors are great in a big field, I'm not so fond of them then, you can catch yourself in trouble hitting the junk end of a straight or the rag flush which when you're short handed you don't worry about it too much.

Originally Posted by Roco415

Originally Posted by nikeelevet

where did u get this guide at? do u have a viable link?? im really interested

Don't be. It sounds like every other guide out there.

-'rilla

I play almost no hands in EP. I don't even raise with KQs. But I will play all those hands + anything connected or suited from late position.

Position >> cards.

-'rilla

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

Originally Posted by Roco415

Originally Posted by nikeelevet

where did u get this guide at? do u have a viable link?? im really interested

Don't be. It sounds like every other guide out there.

-'rilla

Q4s listed as a shark card ??

heheh.. but some of the hands arent bad in late position.

very well put, iwa. it's not so much about what additional hand groups you play, it's how you learn to incorporate new strategies into your game, like deception, exploiting good position, table image manipulation, etc.

for example, i won a huge pot last night with 32o because even though it was the nuts (A4X5X), nobody could possibly put a tight player like me on that hand. i also got a free showdown on a hand where i raised pre flop with T9o because everyone feared i had TPTK or high pockets. amazingly, my T high won, mainly because i had the initiative and nobody wanted to bet into me.

conversely, i won fairly little whenever my AK hit the flop because it was so obvious that's what i had.

ChezJ

the only thing i'd say about suited connecters, is keep in mind they're going to miss a lot. a lot more than you think. if you don't play them well, you will leak away money. calling preflop with them from any position and folding if you don't hit big isn't gonna cut it, they're a little trickier than that.

But suited conecters are soooo pretty to look at, I mean it is hard to resist a 9, 10 suited.

so what's the concensus here then on suited connectors? limp-in/call small raises in late position? i ill think limping in middle or early w/ them even if you have to call a small raise later on in the round still gives you good odds if you hit. kind of like limping in w/ low pocket pairs from ep or mp i guess. any thoughts?

I limp with them from MP-LP only if there have been others limping in front of me. If its been folded around to me, I'll usually dump them. Suited connectors go way up in value the more people in the pot, and I'll even limp in LP with 45s or so, if its a family pot.

Originally Posted by dstir2

so what's the concensus here then on suited connectors? limp-in/call small raises in late position? i ill think limping in middle or early w/ them even if you have to call a small raise later on in the round still gives you good odds if you hit. kind of like limping in w/ low pocket pairs from ep or mp i guess. any thoughts?

How well can you play bottom/middle pair no kicker?

-'rilla

I used to play these hands under a lot of different circumstances, but lately I've been preferring to play them in multi-way pots, particularly with position.

i have a very good read when people are in the pot are on high cards and dont have anything. if its more multi-way, when someone may be playing low pockets or other connectors, my judgement isn't as good i don't think.

Originally Posted by dstir2

so what's the concensus here then on suited connectors? limp-in/call small raises in late position? i ill think limping in middle or early w/ them even if you have to call a small raise later on in the round still gives you good odds if you hit. kind of like limping in w/ low pocket pairs from ep or mp i guess. any thoughts?

Pocket pairs are practically auto pilot and while position is nice for them, its not imperative. Small suited connectors are drawing hands, position is imperative not only to get as many cards for as cheaply as possible, but also to get paid when your draw hits, an out of position draw that hits is very likely to get a check behind on a check raise attempt or a simple call from a bet. Position is imperative, I'd encourage you to look at your ptracker stats if you have it, I'd put good money on 4-5 through 7-8 being losers from EP.

This is kinda a subject thats been bothering me for a while, hopefully somebody can clear the matter up.

Why do people put value in suited connectors?
Surely if you hit the flush theres a good chance your gonna loose your stack to a higher flush, or at least higher hole-card kicker in the same flush!?
Going on this basis are they being played more for straight draw promise?
If they are then why not play unsuited connectors as well?

Why do I love questions?

Originally Posted by Irisheyes

This is kinda a subject thats been bothering me for a while, hopefully somebody can clear the matter up.

Why do people put value in suited connectors?
Surely if you hit the flush theres a small chance your gonna loose your stack to a higher flush, or at least higher hole-card kicker in the same flush!?
Going on this basis are they being played more for straight draw promise?
If they are then why not play unsuited connectors as well?

Why do I love questions?

FYP.

-'rilla