Suited connector preflop stack odds?

[galmost]

I suck at playing suited connectors. If your opponent is willing to stack you off what would be the highest percentage of your stack you would be willing to commit preflop (say effective stack size is 100BB)? I know this is a dumb question and I'm not exactly sure what I'm asking here, but something like the 10% pocket pair rule (not that I play the 10% pp rule).

[PantsOnFire]

It is more difficult to play suited connectors for a good reason. And that reason is that you don't usually flop a straight or a flush but you more likely will flop a straight or flush draw.

So unlike playing pocket pairs where the postflop decisions are relatively straight forward, you need to have very good postflop skills to play these hands effectively. Therefore, I believe the answer to your question is that the amount you are willing to put into the pot prefop should reflect you postflop skill level.

I think in general, with deepstacks involved, you should be playing suited connectors for 1xBB and sometimes 3xBB with several players. Playing 3xBB heads up or more than 3xBB would probably require superior postflop skills.

If the stacks are not deep, it is a different situation. For example in a NL tourney, when you are down to less than say 20BB, then these hands become losing propositions. I think the main reason is that when you pay to play in a pot and then flop your draw and pay a bit more, you may end up with a significant amount of your stack in the pot and only have a draw.

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
I suck at playing suited connectors. If your opponent is willing to stack you off what would be the highest percentage of your stack you would be willing to commit preflop (say effective stack size is 100BB)? I know this is a dumb question and I'm not exactly sure what I'm asking here, but something like the 10% pocket pair rule (not that I play the 10% pp rule).

[/ QUOTE ]

You want to commit as little as possible. Unless you are the preflop raiser in position using a little deception.

Most people like at least 20:1 implied odds on suited connectors. The more the better.

With a suited 0-gapper, you will flop 2 pair or better or an 8 out draw or better about 23% of the time.

[mvdgaag]

You don't call a raise with them unless you AND the raiser(s) are deep stacked. NOT because you need a big pot to make up for the preflop bets. But because you need to be able to put pressure on your opponents and because you want the situation to be the same as when you hit a set with a small pair, which I'll explain later.

You get a big draw about one in five times. Your expected value of this draw should be at least four times what you put in preflop to break even.

I disagree it requires a lot of post flop skills. With a big draw you either move in or call on the flop (Sklansky & Miller, NL Hold 'em Theory and Practice, pg163).

You are usually a slight dog to win if you go allin on the flop. Therefore you need a lot of folding equity for a high enough EV. Being called is -EV. If you push only when you have big draws your opponents will be on to you soon enough and you give up a lot of folding equity. But if you also push with small pairs that hit a set your opponents don't know if you have suited connectors or trips and cannot profitably call. This is where you gain the folding equity. So because you play small pairs with a big stack, you need a big stack to play suited connectors.

I would never call a PF raise with suited connectors unless there were at least three more people going to the flop and I and the raiser are deepstacked.

An exception would be if this is part of your overall strategy or some kind of image play where you play some hands -EV to gain at the big holdings.

These are just my thoughts on this. I'm sure there are many other strategies that work.

GL

[HoldemPokerPlyr]

You want to play suited connectors in multiway pots. That's where they make their most money.