Pre-flop Action: when to Raise with Suited connectors

When the tournament is halfway through, start the rounds with the same colour switches in position.

Suited connectors are difficult to play with at all stages of a tournament. Early in the tournament, you want to see as many cheap flops as possible with these hands and play against a few opponents in the pot. In the later stages of the tournament, these hands can become chip burners, as if someone calls you, they will usually have a better hand.

Starting in the middle of the tournament, use suited connectors to try to steal blinds. Raise Pre-flop and try to win chips without resistance. If you get a call on the flop, you'll usually be in trouble, or have to make tough decisions later. Also, occasionally you might get lucky and fold a good hand like two pair or a straight.

Example:

You have 7♦-8♦ , the late stage of the tournament. Everyone folds to you on the button. The blinds are 2,000-4,000, you have 74,000. You raise to 11,000, the big blind calls. He has 110 000. The pot is now 24 000.

The flop turns over J♥-7♥-2♣. There is a possible flush draw, but unfortunately not your kind. You have a second pair. Suddenly, Big Blind leads out for 18,000. What do you do?

The player in Big is new to your table, so you don't know how he plays yet. Does this bet mean he has top pair? Or maybe he has pocket pair? Like pocket nines? Or maybe he is betting with a flush draw? Or maybe he imagines that we don't like this flop and bets that we are weak?

A player who is out of position has the opportunity to bluff first, thus denying his opponent the opportunity to bluff. In this case, you don't know if your opponent is bluffing and you have failed to steal the blinds. Therefore, it is best to surrender and fold this time. The next hand will be dealt, I promise.

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