Some poker players will play any two cards. Others will play a hand anytime they see a face card. Still others will come into the pot whenever they have any two suited cards. With few exceptions, these players generally play this way because they hate to watch a hand from the sidelines that could have potentially been a winner.
Understanding why you are playing the way you do is key to being a good poker player. Excellent players like Gus Hansen can play the ultra aggressive style and come into a pot with Q3 of clubs. His player reading abilities and deductions after the flop allow him to use this aggressive style for maximum profit. Amateur players are generally not as perceptive and playing marginal hands will get them in trouble more often than not.
With two suited cards, you odds are worse than 16 to 1 of making your flush. Not very good considering there may only be 2 or 3 other players in the hand. To make the effort worthwhile, you must be able to win hands after the flop even when you completely miss the board. Otherwise, your stack will quickly diminish while you wait for a miracle. Suited connectors have an added advantage. They offer players the potential to win with both a straight or a flush. Throw in the occasional 2 pair and you have a powerful weapon to add to your arsenal.
One of the first things to understand about playing Texas Holdem is that some hands play well against a large field, while others fare better heads-up or against a limited number of opponents. Hands like AA are a huge favorite against one player, but their strength diminishes as more players enter the pot. That's because a single pair of aces will generally be strong enough to win the pot against a lone competitor. However, as more players get involved, the quality of the winning hand needed to win the pot will also generally increase.
Suited connectors are a hand that play better against multiple opponents. Although they offer multiple ways of winning, suited connectors are a drawing hand and need increased pot odds to make them profitable. For example, if you find yourself on the button with 9-10 of diamonds after 3 players have limped in, you wouldn't hesitate to toss some cash into the pot to take a look at the flop. However, in first position, your 9-10 should quickly find itself in the muck. This is because you cannot risk a raise by a late potion player. When that occurs, your odds are greatly reduced as the field is thinned… leaving you with little choice but to toss your cards and your initial bet.
Suited connectors can pay big dividends when you make your hand. They offer the element of surprise and can be difficult for your opponent to detect. Just be sure to play them correctly, so you are the one with more money in the end.