When a player picks up high cards that are both suited and connected, they often misinterpret the hand’s strength in cash games. High suited connectors like Ace-King or Ace-Queen gain worth from being able to hold up as top pair and also from their ability to cause other players to fold. When playing high suited connectors in cash games, it is important to play the hand properly so that one can capitalize on the profitable characteristics of their high, connecting cards.
Ace-King and Ace-Queen holds up much better on Full Tilt Poker against fewer opponents than it does in multi-way pots. Thus, a player holding large, connecting cards wants to mix it up against one or two opponents. A hand like Ace-King is more vulnerable when it is played against many opponents in a multi-way pot. When there are numerous players in the hand and the flop comes Ace-Jack-Eight, Ace-King is often the second best hand, as players often find themselves in reverse-dominated situations against hands like Ace-Eight or Ace-Jack. Additionally, players in multi-way pots are more likely to play a hand like ten-nine, which cause hands like Ace-King to become quite vulnerable if the board gets more coordinated later in the hand.
When a player picks up a large, connecting hand like A-K or A-Q, the player is best suited putting in a preflop raise to narrow down the field. The player should be prepared to put out a continuation bet on the flop regardless of how the board comes out. Sometimes, against few opponents the over cards will cause the opposing players to fold on the flop, while other times the player will get a call or two. If the board delivers over-cards on the flop, the player can slow down on the turn if it does not prove helpful or they can fire the second barrel if the most likely result will be that the opposing player or players fold. If the turn improves your hand, however, a player can continue betting on the turn in an effort to gain pot commitment.
When playing high connectors at your favorite poker on line website, it is important to consider how the preflop action went down. If a player limps with a hand like Ace-King and encounters four or five players on the flop, the player should only proceed with caution, as Ace-King does not hold up well against many opponents. When playing high suited cards in cash games, it is important to maximize value when the hand might be the best hand, while avoiding situations when Ace-King is likely to be costly. Raising before the flop will help a player narrow down the field when playing high, connecting cards so that they can fully take advantage of the most profitable characteristics of such a poker hand.