A starting hand of KT is sometimes known as the suckers hand because it’s great at making you think it’s a stronger hand than it really is. A lot of players will get carried away with this hand only to have their dreams wither away post-flop. It’s important to know that while it has a lot of potential, it also comes with plenty of pitfalls.
A suited KT is definitely stronger than a regular KT due to its potential to form a flush or even a royal flush. If the right cards don’t appear on the flush, however, you could be in trouble. For that reason, it’s a difficult starting hand to manage, and whether you’re in an online poker cash game or tournament, you’ll need the right strategy.
Playing the Suited King-Ten Pre-Flop
Pre-flop, before the community cards have been revealed, is the first betting round of the hand. At this point in the game, you don’t have any indication of which cards will come up on the flop, and there’s no way to know how successful you might be. Still, you’ll be able to consider your position at the table when making your decision.
Later positions give you a greater advantage as it means you’ll have had more information on your opponents and their decisions. Based on their decisions, you should have a rough idea of their card ranges, and you’ll also be able to choose how you proceed.
If the pot is unopened, you can raise from any position with a suited KT. Limping, or calling the blind, is discouraged because it leads to a much lower final pot. However, if you’re facing a raise, you’ll need to manage risk and consider your position before proceeding.
When in the middle positions or better, you should normally call the raise. The hand isn’t quite strong enough to raise further and not weak enough to fold. When facing a raise from earlier positions, folding is almost always better, as you don’t yet have enough information on your opponents’ hands.
Post-Flop Suited King-Ten Strategy
Post-flop, you’ll have a better idea of your chances of success. You either hit the flop and have a great hand or you miss and don’t have anything yet. Should you miss, there’s still a chance for your luck to turn around in later streets, but you have a much lower success rate here.
If you already raised, you can look out for potential outs that can give you a straight or a flush. If you have what’s known as a backdoor draw, you should look to raise again. This is a sort of bluff as you don’t currently have a strong hand, but there’s a great chance that you could land a straight or flush on the turn and river. However, if you miss the flop and didn’t raise pre-flop, you should fold to prevent any further losses.
If you’re lucky enough to hit the flop, then you’ve got a very strong hand, and you want to maximize your potential winnings. How aggressive you play will depend on the hand you have, however. If you have a strong pair, raise on the flop but check on the turn. You don’t want to be overzealous, especially since your opponents may still have stronger hands than you.
Your strategy should be far more aggressive if you have a super strong hand such as a two pair, trips, straight or flush. You want to build the pot as fast as possible in order to win the maximum amount possible from your strong hand. Making the most of your opportunities is key to playing poker profitably.
