The effect of position on Suited Connectors

The expected value of suited-connectors is strongly dependent on both the rank of the cards and the seat position. These effects can be seen on the chart by looking at the increase in expected values of Jack-10 suited as the seat number increases (position becomes later), and of the expected value increase for seat 10 (last position) as the rank of cards increase. The peak of this three-dimensional plot is for Jack-10 suited in seat 9. Suited-connectors that do not contain a card of at least rank 10 have done poorly from all but the last three seat positions. The one anomaly is 8-7 suited, which has done well for players "under-the-gun." It has a negative or zero expected value for all other positions. I have no explanation for this anomaly.

The results of this position analysis are summarized in the chart infra. What the position chart tells you is that the later your position, the more types of hands are potentially playable. Drawing hands, such as suited-connectors, increase in value with later positions, because more information (number of players, potential pot size) is available. The chart does not mean you should always play a drawing hand from a late position. It means that if other decision factors are favorable —factors that are only known from having a late position—a drawing hand is playable.