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Luke Phillips, March 22, 2009 at 4:53 pm |
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Poker LessonsIn Sex And Poker’s second lesson we take a look suited connectors in Texas Hold ‘Em.
A Spy On The Field
Ever played Stratego? It’s a board game where war (the card game and the bloody involvement) meets chess. You control a board full of pieces that numerically dominate each other incrementally and take on little Napoleonic era identities (like the miner, the scout, and the field marshal). 5 is beaten by 4 which is beaten by 3 and so on. So what beats 1? 1 and 1 kill each other. Bombs (immovable pieces destroyed only by 8s for some reason) kill everything (except 8s). And the Spy kills 1, and only 1.
Suited Connectors in Texas Hold 'Em
Okay, so what does a Milton-Bradley reference have to do with poker? Well, most of the time, a Spy looks like an ordinary, moving piece. And in general, if it moves, Number 1 can kill it. But the Spy is a special kind of useless. Only one out of all of the pieces in front of you can defeat your opponent’s Number 1.
So like a Tyrannosaurus that can see only movement, your opponents will deftly avoid the non-moving mines and go after this sad little piece. Then -WHOMP!- the spy gets him. His Number 1 is dead and you are left to rule the board. This is exactly like playing suited connectors in Texas Hold’em.
Stratego
No, seriously. Check it out:
In Their Element: The spy is highly specialized.
If it doesn’t hit just right, that is, first, it fails. If you’ve called a raise before the flop with a 5-6 suited, you’re looking for a board filled with opportunity, like 2-4-6. Then we have a game!
Easy To Let Go
Likewise, if an overly aggressive general has led his Number 1 right over a minefield, your spy becomes a little less useful than a scout and is easily let go of. Such is the case with a flop like K-J-9. With no opportunity, with probability against you and without a giant commitment to the pot, this hand is easily let go.
Smaller Risks, Bigger Payoffs
Consider also the stakes inherent between the situations. If you can entrap the opponent’s Number 1 and ensure the longevity of your own, it is only a matter of time until you take the flag and the game. When you strike a flop like the one above or even something better (like a flush, straight, or trips) and you’re fortunate enough that your opponent is holding a big pair that they’re as emotionally attached to as their high school sweetheart, you are in a great position. Even when you have meager opportunities like the situation above, your nine outs twice make you a slightly improbable, yet formidable threat to his chip stack, his tournament, his ego, and/or his livelihood.
Camouflage
Two Ways The anonymity of the spy is what makes him powerful. A piece that is now running from the Number 1 might be a Number 2 or 3, or it might be the Spy setting a trap for when you have a false dilemma. The piece running after their Number 1 might be a spy blowing his cover, or it might be a Number 7 throwing a wrench in the gears and doing a little reconnaissance. Likewise, those two cards that you’re holding might have magically met the board and brought you favorable situations like top two pair or an open-ended straight flush draw, or you might have a K-J that’s easily dominated by the opponent’s hand and just taking advantage of a raggedy flop that is now—since he knows you play suited connectors— the biggest threat to his winning streak and his sanity.
Knowing how to play spy games with your suited connectors will instill paranoia and give you the advantage in intelligence. Just make sure you don’t go strolling through any minefields!
