When players are first introduced to GTO solutions they are often baffled by how wide BB defending ranges are. This for example is the BB defend range for a HJ open at 40BB’s effective:
Every suited hand calls, it’s only the worst offsuit hands that fold.
Most players understand that a hand like Q2s can make a strong top pair and a strong flush, and a hand like 64s can make a straight or a flush. They are really perplexed why we play hands like 92s, which can’t make straights, don’t make desirable pairs and make dominated flushes.
The main reason we play hands like this is because of the usefulness of having a flush draw.
The usefulness of flush draws
We flop a flush around 1.5% of the time, however we flop a flush draw around 10% of the time. We can always continue to a single bet with a flush draw, then if our opponent shuts down on the turn we can steal the pot if we don’t improve.
We flop a backdoor flushdraw 75% of the time, which is very useful. Now we have a profitable bluff candidate, especially if we also have a backdoor straight draw. We can bluff the flop, and potentially turn a profitable bluff card too. We can also make a very strong, well disguised, hand by the river.
Playing the lower suited hands gives us good board coverage when the flop comes low, meaning a thinking opponent will play more carefully. This allows our one pair hands to realise equity better, because our opponent will check behind more. Plus these low suited hands are rarely dominated in the way hand like KJs can be.
Finally, when we flop a pair with these junky suited hands they are easier to play when you develop heuristics for how to proceed when you flop a pair. For example, top pair might be good to call three streets assuming the turn and river stay quite low. Middle pair might be good for two streets, and bottom pair just for one street.
Studying hands as the preflop defender is one of the most important areas of improvement because it happens so often. You are probably not defending enough already, so get into the habit of calling more with these low suited hands.
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