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Common Poker Mistakes: Thinking Suited Cards are Awesome
New players don't always have a really good sense of the value of their hole cards, which results in playing hands too frequently and pushing those hands down to the river when they should have been dropped. These costly mistakes are the result of many misconceptions, but one of the most common is assuming that suited cards are much better than non-suited cards. While suited cards are statistically better, the difference isn't that immense, so it's important to play these cards reasonably.
The primary area in which this is problematic is low suited cards. This will frequently be a pair up like the four of diamonds and eight of diamonds, where the cards themselves are of little or no value, but the chance at the flush is so enticing that some players jump in anyway. There are many reasons to avoid this.
The primary reason is that the simple math says that your flush only has about an 11 percent chance to be a flush by the final card. This is low in and of itself, but the reality is that it also puts you in a dangerous situation. If you were to flop two additional diamonds (in the scenario mentioned above), you may hold out for that final diamond, even through large betting that makes your pot odds terrible.
In addition, when working with low suited cards, there is still the possibility that an opponent also has suited cards in the same suit, but with a higher set of cards than yours. Thus, if the flush does come, you may well get beaten by a better flush.
Whether you're playing with friends at Caesars Online or in the Bellagio, remember to prioritize the value of the cards themselves over whether or not they are connected or suited. While these are valuable additions, they do not overwrite the need for solid cards in your hand.
The primary area in which this is problematic is low suited cards. This will frequently be a pair up like the four of diamonds and eight of diamonds, where the cards themselves are of little or no value, but the chance at the flush is so enticing that some players jump in anyway. There are many reasons to avoid this.
The primary reason is that the simple math says that your flush only has about an 11 percent chance to be a flush by the final card. This is low in and of itself, but the reality is that it also puts you in a dangerous situation. If you were to flop two additional diamonds (in the scenario mentioned above), you may hold out for that final diamond, even through large betting that makes your pot odds terrible.
In addition, when working with low suited cards, there is still the possibility that an opponent also has suited cards in the same suit, but with a higher set of cards than yours. Thus, if the flush does come, you may well get beaten by a better flush.
Whether you're playing with friends at Caesars Online or in the Bellagio, remember to prioritize the value of the cards themselves over whether or not they are connected or suited. While these are valuable additions, they do not overwrite the need for solid cards in your hand.
