Suited Connectors Post Flop Play

[jt_213 0]

Ok well I play a lot of $1/2$ and $2/$4 and I've come to this situation repeatedly and lost a bit so I decided to ask what this informed community does. Situation:$2/$4 six handed game and you're in position with Q,J suited. An opponent raises to 3 times the big blind out of position and the table folds round to you. In this situation I make the call because I like playing suited connectors post flop. The board comes Q,2,9 rainbow and your opponent leads out for half the size of the pot. Now, here is where I've gotten into some trouble because I'm not sure whether to push or fold, and flat calling gives him initiative to keep going after turn. I can make a minimum raise, but seems weak to me in this position and just begs for a re-raise or an all-in push provided the guy isn't bluffing. Say I just call thinking that maybe he's got second pair. The turn comes and it's a blank so I'm stuck with a pair and no draw. My opponent either bets the pot (or maybe even moves all-in). My thinking immediately turns to either:He has me out-kicked, he made trips on the flop or turn, or he's trying to draw out with something like J,10 (the least likely possiblity). Of course, he could have second pair or I might have him out-kicked, but he's pushing so hard that I'm not confident I'm leading in this situation. I can call, but if he has A,Q then I'm feeling like a donkey and not happy with my play. I seem to come to this crossroads all too often and I've tried being aggressive by raising after bet on flop, but if the guy goes on all-in then I just can't call in that position and I've lost more money by folding then than if I had just called and folded after bet on turn. How do you guys think this ought to be played?

[Shimmering Wang 1]

Ok well I play a lot of $1/2$ and $2/$4 and I've come to this situation repeatedly and lost a bit so I decided to ask what this informed community does. Situation:$2/$4 six handed game and you're in position with Q,J suited. An opponent raises to 3 times the big blind out of position and the table folds round to you. In this situation I make the call because I like playing suited connectors post flop. The board comes Q,2,9 rainbow and your opponent leads out for half the size of the pot. Now, here is where I've gotten into some trouble because I'm not sure whether to push or fold, and flat calling gives him initiative to keep going after turn. I can make a minimum raise, but seems weak to me in this position and just begs for a re-raise or an all-in push provided the guy isn't bluffing. Say I just call thinking that maybe he's got second pair. The turn comes and it's a blank so I'm stuck with a pair and no draw. My opponent either bets the pot (or maybe even moves all-in). My thinking immediately turns to either:He has me out-kicked, he made trips on the flop or turn, or he's trying to draw out with something like J,10 (the least likely possiblity). Of course, he could have second pair or I might have him out-kicked, but he's pushing so hard that I'm not confident I'm leading in this situation. I can call, but if he has A,Q then I'm feeling like a donkey and not happy with my play. I seem to come to this crossroads all too often and I've tried being aggressive by raising after bet on flop, but if the guy goes on all-in then I just can't call in that position and I've lost more money by folding then than if I had just called and folded after bet on turn. How do you guys think this ought to be played?

How deep are you guys playing? I'd usually just put in a check-raise here, and reevaluate. Why is it "push/fold"?Wang

[benhoug 0]

Ok well I play a lot of $1/2$ and $2/$4 and I've come to this situation repeatedly and lost a bit so I decided to ask what this informed community does. Situation:$2/$4 six handed game and you're in position with Q,J suited. An opponent raises to 3 times the big blind out of position and the table folds round to you. In this situation I make the call because I like playing suited connectors post flop. The board comes Q,2,9 rainbow and your opponent leads out for half the size of the pot.

When I think suited connector I think 56, 67, 78, 89. You play these hands for straight and flush draw possibilities, making 2 pr. or possibly flopping lucky trips. You DON'T play this hand for top pr. value. By playing QJ, even though you're suited, you're really just playing a top pr/crappy kicker hand. I don't see a whole lot of value in moving forward w/ a hand like this. I probably call here, but I'm just looking for a good turn card. Unimproved on the turn I'm probably done w/ this hand.

[nomad_monad 0]

seems like your options here are really limited based on playing short stack sizes? (as wang already noted)if you can't make anything but a min-raise without committing yourself on the flop, then your real decision is preflop. if you have that little manueverability postflop, it probably means stacks aren't large enough for you to be playing suited connectors for implied odds, heads-up, to a standard raise.

[lengthy 0]

my thoughts are similar to what everyone else is saying with a one excption. I would probably call the initial bet on the flop, see what I get on the turn and then decide where I'm at. of course your oppenet could be raising with AQ or KQ from an early position (the hand most threatening to yours), but could be raising with a large variety of hands as well. I've seen a lot of pros who will call with top pair and a decent kicker, see what his oppenent does then either RAISE him or fold. I personally would raise the flop, especially to a bet half the size of the pot. I'll usually consider that a sign of weakness or a continuation bet, and a raise can a lot of times, take the pot right there. if he re-raises, then you know that your hand probably isn't good and you can get away pretty easily.hope this gives you some more insight....

[fleung22 1]

QJ is a difficult hand to play for this exact reason. What happens when you make a pair with either card and have no big hand draw?I'm not a big fan of going broke with just a pair so I like to just call it down unless there's something obvious telling me I'm beat. Raising is a fine option but if I'm ahead I'd like more money and a raise will stop the bluffer. If I'm behind I don't want to lose much more.If I lose because of kicker problems then that's what I get for playing that hand.

[MasterLJ 0]

First, you might want to think about re-raising in a 6-handed game. Second, you DEFINITELY need to raise in the situation described. It's not a min-raise or push proposition. You put in a nice raise of roughly the pot size to let him know you have a strong hand.