Volume Hands: Small Pairs and Small Suited Connectors

"When do you play big volume hands, Roy, like suited connectors and small pairs?"

I smiled at my friend and said, "I don't."

That's a bit of an exaggeration, but I invest a lot fewer chips with those hands than most pros I see. Played correctly, they can add great value to your game; misplayed, they can destroy an otherwise sound game.

Small pairs (sixes and smaller) and small suited connectors (smaller than 10-9) generally play best when there are opponents available to give you action after you make your hand. When drawing slim or dead, your opponents will contribute big edge to you after you make your hand. Opponents putting in bets against your hand when drawing slim or dead has much more value to you than opponents putting in bets when drawing to a hand that is live and likely to come. If your opponent is correct in drawing due to the price the pot is laying his draw, over the course of time you will be better off if he folds rather than draws. These volume hands, played in correct situations, can create a lot of positive expectation.

When you have a wired pair, you are 7.5-to-1 to flop a set. When you hold 7-6 suited, you need to make a flush or straight, or hit the hand twice in order for your holding to have much value. It is statistically difficult to produce a strong hand with either of these types of starting hands. A starting hand that seldom makes a hand, but makes a strong hand when it does, will increase in value when your opponents make wagers that have very little value for them after you've made your hand.

You need to be selective in playing these hands, and play them only in situations in which the circumstances dictate that you will receive an overlay. Play them when a situation is right, and fold them when a situation is wrong. Several major factors go into the equation. What are the initial costs preflop? What can I expect to make on the hand when I win? What are the chances I will make/draw to my hand and lose? Are there any extraordinary factors that go into the equation?

I do not recommend nor do I utilize black and white rules when assigning value to a hand. There are no set rules. When analyzing a poker situation, weigh factors and evaluate the substance of the situation. Go through the fundamental circumstances. Weigh the situational value in order to help yourself develop a feel for the situations. Once you obtain a good feel and make good decisions based upon it, you will find that volume hands are highly profitable.

With small pairs, I look to get in cheaply in high-volume pots (pots with many players) that are likely to have a high level of action post-flop. I want hands like two overcards and one pair to pay dearly after the flop for the chance to draw slim or dead against me. It adds value to my hand if my opponents are the type of players who make those calls. Opponents who call preflop and bet, call, and raise frequently with weak hands strengthen the value of your small pair immensely. Opponents who often raise preflop (charging you a higher price to chase your set) and play well after the flop, making correct bets and laydowns, weaken the value of your wired pair preflop.

Pots in which there is a strong likelihood of higher wired pairs being out weaken your holding. Having a lower set is a tough situation in which you will lose lots of chips with only one out in the deck.

When you play these hands that need to hit to win, it is always nice to get a free card if you miss the flop. On the other hand, a passive game can reduce your volume potential after the flop, too, taking away some value when you do flop a set. But, the additional chance to make your set adds much value, particularly if the pot is of decent size. Loose, passive, easily intimidated opponents are the type against whom you can make the play of raising with a wired pair preflop (with volume and position) in an effort to induce them to check to you on the flop so that you can check behind them and get a free card. If you have several opponents, you have gained in terms of expectation, as the value of the raise increases if you flop a set, and it increases greatly if you turn a set that you wouldn't have if you had not raised, and you win a pot that you may otherwise not have won. The situation has to be just right in order to make this play.

Another factor that's important in assessing the value of a set is the position you occupy in relation to a probable bettor. If a player raises and several people call before you, your pair is much stronger than if several people called and a player to your immediate right raised. By having players in between the probable flop bettor and yourself, you can trap them more easily.

Each situation has different variables. Calling a raise with two fives when a tight, good player raised from early position and another tight, good player called him, with tight, aggressive players yet to act behind you, is a very different proposition than if the raiser and caller are loose, aggressive players who overplay every hand, call with overcards to the river, and pay off with ace high, and the players yet to act behind you are calling stations with similar playing characteristics.

A general concept to keep in mind when thinking about playing a small wired pair is: What is the cost of entering this pot going to be, and will I win a big pot if I flop a set?

One of the differences between small wired pairs and small suited connectors is that with small wired pairs, you generally make your hand on the flop. With suited connectors, you generally make your hand after the flop. You are drawing after the flop, so you generally don't want fast action, particularly if you may be drawing to a hand that may not win if you make it. In many cases, you would like to see the turn for free or very cheaply. Many of the draws you flop are going to be weak gutshot draws, backdoor-flush draws, and middle and bottom pairs, all with few outs, so you don't want to get too many chips committed.

With suited connectors, the perfect customers are those who call lots of flops but seldom bet after the flop, then call with weak hands if you choose to bet. You can also play suited connectors in situations in which you have strong reads and control over an opponent(s). If you can effectively read and predict what your opponent(s) will do, it sets up many bluffing opportunities with little risk. Plus, you can still make a hand.

I tend not to value suited connectors as highly as conventional wisdom suggests. Part of the problem I see with these hands is that in many of the situations in which the style of the game makes it correct to play them, the style of your opponents lessens their value. If your opponents are playing suited cards, the likelihood of hands like 8-7 and 7-6 suited to be drawing to the smaller flush is great, thereby devaluing the strength of your call greatly. Also, when you make a small flush with cards to come, any player with a bigger card of that suit is likely to be correct in drawing, further devaluing your hand.

I understand that all of these concepts do not necessarily correlate with each other. Opponents do not always act as you wish. In deciding whether to play one of these "volume hands," you need to be able to envision the likelihood of certain events occurring, and assess how your hand will play and the value of that play. Keep in mind that these hands do not tend to play well in situations in which there are either few callers or a great amount of raising before the flop. As a general rule, for these hands to be playable, you need several players, a cheap entry price, and available action after you make the hand.

Roy Cooke played winning professional poker for more than 16 years. He is a successful real estate broker/salesperson in Las Vegas. If you would like to ask Roy poker-related questions, you may do so online at www.UnitedPokerForum.com.