Quick facts by PokerStrategy
- Suited in poker is when you have hole cards of the same suit.
- Having suited cards in Texas Hold’em adds around three percent equity to a hand vs. the same cards but offsuit.
- Suited cards also offer more playability post-flop, as you can semi-bluff with draws.
- Weak suited cards are still unplayable in many cases, but medium and strong suited hands are an integral part of good, balanced poker play.
What Is Suited in Poker Terms?
The definition of suited in poker is when your hole cards are of the same suit, such as A♥ 9♥ or 8♠ 7♠ in Texas Hold’em. Having two suited cards gives you a greater chance to hit a flush or pick up a playable flush draw, which adds to the overall strength of poker hands.
Suitedness also matters in most other forms of poker, but it can have different implications. For example, in Omaha Poker, you’d prefer to have two suits represented across your four cards, since you can only use two of your hole cards to make your final hand.
Having suited cards is not an excuse to play weak hands. However, it can be the difference between playing a hand or folding it.
Suited vs Offsuit Hands
Suited in poker, defined as the cards you are dealt matching one another in suit, has consequences for strategic play, since suited cards have stronger equity than their offsuit counterparts.
The possibility of hitting a flush adds around 3% equity to your hand. For example, AK offsuit has 63% equity against a random hand, whereas AK suited has 6%. With JT offsuit against a pair of deuces, you have 44% equity. This jumps to 47% with JT suited.
This is a small but significant equity increase that can tip the scales on decisions such as raising pre-flop, defending the big blind, or even 3-bet bluffing.
When playing a lot of tables as one can in online poker room, you’ll note these frequencies very clearly and realize why it is important to select your hand ranges with care, to avoid playing too many weaker offsuit hands, which come up three times as often as their suited cousins.
Why Suited Hands Matter
Playability of Suited Hands
It’s not just about the additional equity. Suited cards also improve the overall playability of a hand, making it more likely that you’ll pick up draws.
Consider the following example of an offsuit ace-high:
- Player A: A♥ 3♠
- Flop: K♠ Q♠ 2♣
On this board, Player A has very little equity in the pot unless their opponent has completely missed the flop. Their best hope is to pair their ace, and even then, they may not be ahead. Player A will have to fold to any action.
Now, let’s compare that with a suited ace that has picked up a flush draw:
- Player A: A♠ 3♠
- Flop: K♠ Q♠ 2♣
This time, Player A has both the nut flush draw and an overcard. Their hand has a decent amount of equity even against a top pair. Better still, they can apply pressure by betting or raising as a semi-bluff and potentially win the pot on the flop.
Odds of Making a Flush
Before we tell you the odds of making a flush with suited cards, keep in mind that your chances of making a flush when you have offsuit hole cards are less than 0.2 percent, or once every 500 hands.
When you have suited hole cards, which you’ll be dealt about 23.5 percent of the time, the odds of making a flush by the river increase to 6.5 percent, around once every 15-16 times. It still doesn’t happen very often, but making a flush is at least a realistic proposition with suited cards.
Here’s where the magic starts to happen. Your odds of flopping a flush draw on the flop with two suited cards are 10.9 percent, and when you do flop a flush, your odds of completing the draw are 35 percent.
How to Play Suited Hands
Here’s how to play suited cards, starting with a very important warning.
Don’t Overvalue Weak Suited Hands
Suited cards give a boost to already playable hands, but nowhere near enough of a boost to justify playing weak hands.
As an extreme example, you wouldn’t play 7-2 just because it’s suited. The same applies to other trash hands. They still belong in the muck.
Playable suited hands include:
- Suited broadways
- Suited aces
- Suited connectors
- Medium strength suited hands like K-T suited
Opening Ranges
Suited cards do have a huge impact on your pre-flop ranges. It turns out that the extra few percent matters when it comes to marginal spots and borderline raises.
For example, AT suited is often a raise from any position, whereas AT offsuit can be a fold from early position. In this case, having suited cards is enough to put this borderline hand into a tight raising range.
Suited hands are also the preferred choice for bluffs. They help to balance ranges and can win pots, particularly in the looser games you’ll often find on top offshore poker sites. If you are going to a 3-bet light, for example, an A3 suit plays much better than an A3 offsuit.
Semi-Bluff with Your Draws
If your suited cards flop a flush draw, you’ll often be able to continue playing your hand either by calling a small bet to see the turn, or by betting as a semi-bluff.
Semi-bluffing is a strong move because it forces your opponent to make a tough decision. They will have to fold most of their low pairs and will even have a tough time calling with the top pair.
If your bet or raise is called, you can reevaluate on the turn. If your flush draw completes, you can start betting for value. If not, you’ll need to decide whether to fire a second barrel.
Power of Suited Connectors
Suited connectors are pairs of consecutive cards, such as J♦ T♦, 9♥ 8♥, 7 ♠ 6♠, and so on. A hand like T-9 suited has nearly 40 percent equity against A-K in a race.
If you raise with suited connectors and get called, they have great implied odds and stand to win huge pots when they hit. You’ll pick up a flush draw, straight draw, or better around 25 percent of the time with a suited connector.
If you miss your hand or you make a vulnerable pair, you can easily fold if the action heats up.
Suited Hands in Poker Examples
Here are some examples that show how suited cards play out in practice:
Example 1: flush draw
- Player A: T♠ 9♠
- Player B: ?
- Flop: K♠ 3♦ 2♠
Player B checks out of position, and Player A makes a continuation bet with their flush draw. This is a great board to bet on because you can represent the king. Player B will struggle to call with anything worse than top pair, and even if they call, Player A can still hit on the turn.
Example 2: Overvaluing suited hands
- Player A: J♥ 6♥
- Player B: ?
- Flop: A♠ J♦ 2♥
Player A decides to (incorrectly) raise from the early position because their cards are suited. They hit a pair of jacks and have a backdoor flush draw, but this board is very dangerous. Player B could be ahead with a pair of aces, a better pair of jacks, or a higher flush draw. Player A checks, and Player B fires a bet from the button. Player A is now in a tough-ish spot.
Example 3: Suited connector with deep stacks
- Player A: 9♦ 8♦
- Player B: ?
- Flop: 7♦ 6♣ K♦
Player A has flopped the world with a flush and straight draw. This hand has around 45 – 55 percent equity even if Player B has top pair. Player A can bet and raise for value. The additional fold equity gained from raising will further improve the profitability of their hand, while the implied odds of deep stacks make it very profitable if they complete on the turn.
Common Misconceptions About Suited Hands
Here are the most common mistakes and misconceptions when it comes to suited hands in poker:
- Any suited cards are playable – Remember, having suited cards only adds around 3% equity.
- Flushes happen often – You’ll only make a flush 6.5 percent of the time, which demonstrates why suited cards are not enough on their own.
- Always chase draws – You won’t have the odds to call large bets or raises unless you have the nut draw and/or additional outs like overcards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between suited and offsuit hands in poker?
Suited hands have two cards of the same suit, whereas offsuit hands have two cards of different suits.
How to play suited cards in poker?
You shouldn’t play trash hands just because they are suited. Instead, stick to strong suited hands, such as broadways or decent suited connectors. If you flop a flush draw, you can call small bets or raise as a semi-bluff.
How often are hands suited?
You’ll be dealt two suited hole cards around 23.5 percent of the time in poker, which is roughly once every 4.25 hands.
How often do suited cards make a flush in poker?
Suited cards make a flush in poker around 6.5 percent of the time. When you flop a flush draw, you’ll complete your draw around 35 percent of the time by the river.
Are suited connectors worth playing?
Suited connectors are worth playing from a late position as semi-bluff hands, provided other conditions, such as stack sizes, are favourable. You can also flat call bets based on the implied odds of hitting your hand.