How to Play Nine-Eight Suited In Cash Games

Nine-Eight suited, like other suited connectors, is a fun hand to get dealt. So many possibilities!

However, some nuances make Nine-Eight suited different from other suited connectors. 

I’m going to help you play this hand more like a pro. Here’s what I’ll cover in this article:

  • How to play 98-suited in common preflop situations
  • 3 tips for playing 98-suited when you miss the flop
  • 3 tips for playing 98-suited when you hit the flop

Let’s get to it.

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How to Play 98-Suited Preflop

Position is critical when considering how to play suited connectors before the flop.

These are the positions that will be referenced in this section:

positions for ace queen 3-betting reference

Unopened Pots

98-suited is strong enough to raise from any position in a 6-handed game. Limping in an unopened pot should be avoided.

If you are playing a 9-handed, 98-suited should be folded from the first 3 positions*. It is not strong enough to raise with so many players still to act behind you.

The exception is if you’re at a table of weak and/or passive players against whom you have a big edge. You can generally loosen up and raise 98-suited in that case.

Against a Raise

98-suited has a unique property: when it makes a straight on a Qx Jx Tx flop, Ace-King also makes a straight. This might seem minor, but it actually has a notable impact because of the prevalence of Ace-King in preflop ranges.

When you’re in the Hijack through the Small Blind and face a raise, for example, 98-suited should almost always be folded. You could 3-bet with it a small fraction of the time, if anything.

Interestingly, this is a much more passive strategy than we see with lower suited connectors like 87-suited through 54-suited. Those hands 3-bet at a much higher frequency than 98-suited, even though they are weaker in terms of absolute strength.

This is an esoteric concept, but if you’re interested in learning more about it, check out this article:

Why 5♠ 4♠ is Better Than 9♠ 8♠ (And How That Should Impact Your Strategy)

 

The Big Blind is the only position in which 98-suited is worth playing against any single raise. This is because you are getting great pot odds and because there are no more players left to act beside you and the opener.

The best approach from the Big Blind is to mix between 3-betting and calling with 98-suited. The closer the open-raiser is to the Button, the more often you should 3-bet (i.e. 3-bet less often against early position and more often versus later position).

You can, of course, adjust based on the players at your table. But now you know the “GTO” way to play 98-suited against a raise.

Against a 3-Bet

You should always continue with 98-suited against a 3-bet. The hand has plenty of equity and playability to make calling the best option.

The one exception is when you are playing against a really tight 3-bettor. If you know they’ve always got the goods, don’t give them action — just get out of the way and move onto the next hand.

Against a 4-Bet

I’m going to hone in on how to play versus a 4-bet after you’ve 3-bet from the Big Blind.

In this scenario, you should mix 50/50 between calling and folding when out-of-position. If you’re in position (meaning the Small Blind is the 4-bettor), always call.

Note: This strategy is only good against a strong opponent who actually 4-bets aggressively. If you are playing against a player who is not going to bluff enough, then calling with 98-suited would be a huge mistake.

3 Tips for Playing When You Miss the Flop 

Most of the time, you won’t flop a pair with 98-suited. That’s what these 3 tips are for.

Tip #1: Consider check-raising when you flop an open-ended straight draw out of position

Example: You defend from the Big Blind with 9d 8d and the flop comes Jd Ts 5h. You should look to check-raise at a high frequency.

Including a mix of both strong hands and bluffs is essential when building a strong check-raising strategy.

Open-ended straight draws are ideal bluffs because they carry strong equity and give you the potential to make stronger hands (like Ace-high) fold. By occasionally check-raising with these draws, you can win either by completing your straight or by forcing your opponent to fold a superior hand.

Tip #2: If you raise preflop and flop a draw, c-bet almost every time

Example: You open-raise from the Cutoff with 9h 8h and the Big Blind calls. If the board comes Qs Js 5h, you should fire a c-bet at a very high frequency.

To keep your strategy balanced and effective, bet with gutshot straight draws, open-ended straight draws, and flush draws to apply pressure on your opponent.

By c-betting draws, you maintain a good mix of bluffs and potential value hands. These draws offer opportunities to improve on later streets. And when they hit, you can capitalize by maximizing value and potentially stacking your opponent.

Tip #3: If you 3-bet and the flop has two broadway cards, c-bet even if you totally missed

In 3-bet pots, you have a significant range advantage on “double broadway” flops (i.e. two cards above Ten). These boards connect strongly with the value hands in your range, so c-betting is often the best move. 

Even if you completely miss, like holding 9h 8h on an As Ks 5d board, it’s still crucial to bluff. Not c-betting in this scenario is a fundamental mistake (unless you’re up against a calling station that never folds).

3 Tips for Playing When You Hit the Flop

Sometimes you’ll actually flop a pair or better. That’s what these tips are for.

Tip #1: Check back with middle or third pair in single-raised pots

Example: If you open-raise from the Button, the Big Blind calls and the flop comes Js 9d 4c, you should mostly check back with your 98-suited.

With marginal hands like middle pair and third pair, the goal is usually to get to a cheap showdown by playing passively. And when you improve to trips or two pair, you can start playing more aggressively.

Additionally, checking back allows you to capitalize on opponents who over-bluff (since they’ll bet into you on later streets and your pair is strong enough to call a bet).

Tip #2: Slow-play your two pairs when the flop is monotone

If you’ve been reading my articles regularly, you have probably read that slow-playing is something you should do very seldomly.

Well, here is one situation in which you should slow-play some of your strong hands (two pair or better): monotone flops.

For example, let’s say that the flop came 9h 8h 4h after you’ve called from the Big Blind with 9d 8d. When faced with a bet in this scenario, you should always just call.

Your opponent can already have a ton of better hands (flushes and sets) and is very likely to hit more on the turn or river. So, while your absolute hand strength is two pair, your relative hand strength is something like a top pair.

You have a great bluff-catching hand at this point, nothing more. Don’t bloat the pot by fast-playing or you’re gonna have a bad time.

Tip #3: If you raise preflop and flop top pair, mix between c-betting big and checking (in position)

On low boards, you should mix between betting large and checking back with your flopped top pair.

Let’s go through an example and I will explain why.

You open-raise from the Button and the Big Blind calls. The flop comes 9d 6s 3s and you’re holding 9h 8h.

In this spot, your range has a lot of missed hands in it. All your double broadway hands missed (Queen-Jack, Ace-Queen, etc). Your range cannot support a high c-betting frequency because of all those missed hands.

Your opponent also has a large amount of the same types of missed hands. For this reason, a bigger bet is better as it will push the large majority of those missed hands with one or two overcards out of the pot. 

When you opt for this strategy of using a bigger bet, the threshold of betting for value goes up. For this reason, mixing between c-betting and checking with your top pair weak kicker is optimal, as this hand cannot go for three streets of value. But it is very vulnerable to all those overcards which are very likely to come on the turn or the river.

Wrapping Up

There you have it, the 5-minute guide to crushing it with 98-suited. Take this knowledge to heart, execute correctly at the tables, and get ready to have more big blinds coming your way!

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How to Play King-Jack Suited in Cash Games

When you get dealt King-Jack suited, there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing a flop.

So, I wrote this guide to help you make more money with this hand. Here’s what you’re going to learn:

  • How to Play King-Jack Suited Preflop
  • 3 Tips for When You Miss the Flop (As the Preflop Raiser)
  • 3 Tips for When You Hit the Flop

Let’s dive in!

How to Play King-Jack Suited Preflop

Let’s first take a look at how you should be approaching playing King-Jack suited preflop in almost all situations.

Here are the table positions for your reference:

positions for ace queen 3-betting reference

Unopened Pots

King-Jack suited is a very strong preflop hand, ranking among the top 5-7% of hands. Because of this, it should be open-raised from every position.

Limping is off-limits! Unless you want to win less money, of course.

Against a Raise

The strategy you should employ when facing a raise should depend on:

  • Your position
  • The raiser’s position

 Let’s split this section into three groups:

1. When you’re seated in Middle Position through Button

There are two schools of thought when it comes to playing from these positions generally, both of which can be good:

  1. Play a 3-bet only strategy.
  2. Play a mixed strategy that has both 3-bets and cold-calls.

Both strategies have extremely similar expected value (EV) as long as you apply the appropriate postflop strategy.

If you want to choose a 3-bet or fold strategy, you will want to always 3-bet with KJs. If you’re using a mixed strategy, then you will want to call with KJs as it’s not quite strong enough to be a clear 3-bet for value, nor is it weak enough to 3-bet as a semi-bluff.

2. From the Small Blind

If you play King-Jack suited from the Small Blind when facing a raise, you should always find the 3-bet. Without going into the math, it’s simply strong enough to 3-bet as part of a linear range.

3. From the Big Blind

When you’re in the Big Blind facing a raise, you should never fold King-Jack suited. You should simply call against every position except the Button and Cutoff. In that case, you should 3-bet for value and protection.

Against a 3-Bet

In highly raked games, which is most poker games, preflop solvers show that King-Jack suited is always strong enough to call the 3-bet.

In some preflop scenarios, it can/should also be used as a 4-bet bluff due to its great blocker properties (blocking strong hands that would continue against a 4-bet, thus increasing the bluff’s success rate).

When you’re facing a 3-bet and have the advantage of being in position, you should always call with King-Jack suited. The one somewhat common exception would be if you’re facing a very tight player who 3-bet to a massive size.

Against a 4-Bet

There are two groups of scenarios that you will find yourself in and they require a different approach:

1. You 3-bet from Middle Position through Button and face a 4-bet from the open-raiser.

You should usually fold in this spot. The exception is if you are on the Button facing a 4-bet from the Cutoff, in which case you can call if you think they have a well-built 4-bet range.

2. You 3-bet from Small Blind or Big Blind.

You should only call in this scenario when the Button is the one doing the 4-betting. Otherwise, make the fold.

Keep in mind that it is important to consider your opponent’s 4-betting tendencies. Against a tight 4-bettor, for example, you can usually comfortably fold King-Jack suited facing the 4-bet, regardless of your/their position.

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The Advanced Solver Ranges for cash games — one of six sets of preflop charts in the Upswing Lab.

3 Tips for Playing When You Miss the Flop (As the Preflop Raiser)

Tip #1 – Fire a c-bet when you flop a gutshot, open-ender, or a flush draw

Draws are hands with nut potential, and nutted hands prefer being in as large of a pot as possible. To achieve this goal, it’s best to start building the pot on the flop in case you will hit. You also have a backup plan, which is to win the pot outright by making your opponent fold.

Tip #2 – Fire a c-bet when you flop a double backdoor draw 

By double backdoor, I am referring to having both a backdoor straight draw and a backdoor flush draw. These hands are a bit more disguised than your front door draws when they hit.

These hands also act as range balancers when the front door draws hit. By that, I mean that if you don’t fire c-bets on the flop with them, you will be lacking bluffs when the front door draws hit. And if you play against good players on a regular basis, they may catch on to this imbalance.

Tip #3 – If you whiff the flop completely, it’s best to check and give up

I’m talking about when you have on boards such as or .

On boards like these, King-Jack might have a backdoor straight draw, but because the board is so connected and overall better for the caller’s range, your strategy should be more passive in these situations.

3 Tips for Playing When You Hit the Flop

Tip #1 – Pot control after hitting a second pair in a single raised pot

When the stack-to-pot ratio is high, like in a single raised pot, it’s best to check and pot control with second pairs that are as invulnerable as a Jack or a King. The reason for that is that by betting you don’t get that much value from worse hands, you give some value to better hands, and don’t deny too much equity. 

So, say you open-raise from the Cutoff and the Big Blind calls. The flop comes . It’s better to check back with your King-Jack suited.

Tip #2 – Always fast-play your strong hands

Poker is a game built around getting value when you have a strong hand. Basically, everything a solver does is designed to get paid when it is at the top of its range.

This means that you should almost always lean towards building the pot immediately. When you flop two pair, trips, a straight, or a flush, you should always fast-play your hand.

Tip #3 – Always c-bet with flopped top pairs

A top pair on the flop is a very strong hand that can get a lot of value with a c-bet. This is especially true for top pair with strong kickers.

This means that when holding King-Jack suited on a or type of board, it’s a good idea to start building the pot right from the flop. There are a lot of worse hands that you will get value from right away.

Final Thoughts

King-Jack suited is a highly versatile hand with great nut potential so you will have a lot of fun playing it in a variety of situations. 

It is also a hand that you must learn to play well as you will find yourself playing postflop very often with it. But equipped with the tips that I’ve shared with you in this article, you will be able to find the right decision more frequently and thus make more money!

Do you guys think you should play differently with this hand? Let me know in the comment section down below!

If you want to learn how to play another starting hand, scroll down a bit until you see “Related Articles” and then pick the one that interests you.

Until next time, good luck, grinders!

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