One of the most discussed hands in poker is A-K suited, sometimes known as Big Slick. With an ace and a king in the hole, you can draw a flush or straight, or you can hit nothing at all. Like many other suited connectors in poker, it’s critical to understand how to play these potentially valuable cards without losing money. Keep reading for tips on how to play suited connectors preflop—and what to do with them on later streets.

What Are Suited Connectors in Poker?

Hole cards that are both of the same suit and consecutive are called suited connectors. For example, a pocket six and seven of hearts count as suited connectors because they’re in the same suit (suited) and follow in sequence (connected). By contrast, suited cards with gaps between them (for example, five and eight of hearts) are known as suited gappers.

Suited connectors are not the strongest types of poker starting hands, but they can set you up for a strong hand, depending on how your luck turns out.

Why Suited Connectors Are So Popular

Suited connectors aren’t as strong as premium starting hands like pocket aces or kings, but they rank among the top starting hands in poker nonetheless. That’s because they have the highest potential of any pocket cards to form flushes and straights after the flop, turn, or river cards.

When to Play Suited Connectors in Poker

If you hit the flop with suited connectors, your chances of winning are higher than average. On the other hand, if the board is unfavorable and you overcommit, suited connectors can cost you big-time. The trick is to adjust your poker hand selection according to the situation, taking into consideration how position impacts your poker strategy.

By Position

So you’re dealt preflop suited connectors and you’re wondering whether to see the flop or not, but how do you decide? 

Preflop, position counts for a great deal. In an early position, you’re generally better off folding. In late position, you have much more information about your opponents’ hands, so it can be profitable to call or raise with your suited connectors – especially if the pot is unraised or other players are limping.

Postflop, if you have position on your opponents (you’re the last to act in each round), you can use suited connectors to put pressure on them so they fold, or you may hit your flush or straight and take the pot outright.

However, it’s almost always a bad idea to get involved in multiway pots with suited connectors. That’s because the chance of getting outgunned by a stronger hand increases the more players contest the pot. As a result, on average, it’s better not to see the flop if you’re going to be firing against multiple opponents.

By Stack Size

Suited connectors have a bad reputation as one of the most overplayed poker hands, but that’s hardly the fault of the cards. Instead, it’s players who commit to the pot without paying due diligence to the situation. 

Take poker stack size, for instance. According to the basic suited connectors strategy, the best situation to play suited connectors is usually against a single opponent when both stacks are reasonably deep. This gives you the leeway to draw your opponent into the pot and win big if you hit your draw. If the stacks are short, you can’t win a lot of money, even if you make your flush or straight.

By Number of Opponents in the Pot

Multiway pots may appear to offer great payout potential, but the reality is that you could be outdone unless you have the nuts. Low- or mid-value suited connectors just don’t cut it in pots with multiple players because the chances of your decent hand being outdone are simply too high.

Common Mistakes with Suited Connectors

What are the worst starting hands for Texas Hold’em poker? From an individual point of view, they’re the hands that lose you the most money because you don’t understand how to play them and make costly mistakes as a result.

For example, one of the most common mistakes players make with starting hands is to overvalue them, and suited connectors are no exception. It’s easy for a beginner to get so excited at the prospect of hitting a straight or a flush that they lose sight of reality. 

Say you’re dealt 5-6 suited, and the flop comes A-3-4 suited, giving you a made hand straight away. Cause for celebration, right? Not necessarily. The preflop poker odds with suited connectors are such that another player could be holding stronger suited cards, so be extra careful.

The flipside of overvaluing suited connectors is to underestimate their post-flop value. 

Say you’re holding 7-8 suited and the flop comes 4-5-10 rainbow (in different suits). You haven’t hit a flush or a straight — but don’t lose hope. You could make a straight on the turn or river. Assuming sufficient stack depth and depending on your opponents’ betting patterns, it could be profitable to make the play. And if you do hit your draw, be sure to bet with confidence.

Are Suited Connectors Worth It?

When poker players discuss the best and worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em, suited connectors always come up, because they can fall into both categories. Basically, it comes down to table position, stack size, and the number of opponents who enter the pot. 

Position-wise, playing suited connectors in poker only makes sense in the late position. When it comes to stack size, they’re only worth playing if your stack is deep enough to play enough streets to hit your draw. As far as the number of opponents is concerned, you don’t want to contest a multiway pot with suited connectors unless you have the absolute nuts, because another player could always hit a stronger flush or straight than you.

What about Omaha? With four hole cards instead of two, the worst starting hands in Omaha are four-of-a-kind combinations, while the best starting hand is A-A-K-K. As for suited connectors, they have a great deal of potential, because they can pair with the board in so many ways.

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