JTs from MP, first in — fold, call or raise?
The answer
Raise
open-raise
The math: JTs is the strongest of the mid suited connectors — it opens from middle position and beyond.
Why
Jack-ten suited makes the nuttiest straights of any connector — every straight it flops is the high end, never the dominated low one — and middle position is plenty late to open it. Raise to take the initiative with a hand that plays beautifully after the flop.
The spot
- Your seat
- MP
- Stakes and stacks
- $1 / $2 · 100bb
- Your hand
- J♠ T♠
- Board
- Preflop — no board yet
- Pot
- POT · $3
- Action on you
- Folds to you
Every option
Foldgive up the hand
Why not: JTs is one of the best suited connectors in poker — folding it in middle position is far too tight.
Calllimp in
Why not: Limping surrenders initiative; raise to take the lead with a hand that flops big draws.
Raiseopen-raiseCorrect
2bb · $4 · 2.5bb · $5 · 3bb · $6
The idea behind it
Not all speculative hands are equal. The high suited connectors — JTs, T9s — have enough raw equity to open earlier than the low ones.
Concept: Suited connectors
Terms in this spot
Play it instead of reading it
The trainer deals this hand with hints, grading and spaced repetition — and randomized variations of it once you have seen it.