📈 Win-Rate Wednesday: Stop Bleeding Chips in Multiway Pots

[WinnersCircle]

📈 Win-Rate Wednesday : Stop Bleeding Chips in Multiway Pots​

A lot of players in live cash games love to see multiway flops — it feels like a chance to win a big one. But the reality is: you rarely flop strong hands, and when you’re up against 3+ opponents, someone else usually connects.
​

🤔 Quick Quiz:​

With suited connectors like 9♠️ 8♠️, how often do you think you flop:

• Two pair or better?
• A flush draw?
• An open-ended straight draw?

📊Here are the real numbers:​

​

Big Made Hands (Two Pair or Better):​

Outcome	Approx. %
Two Pair	2%
Trips	1%
Straight	1%
Flush	1%
Full House/Quads	<1%
Total	~5%

Good Draws:​

Outcome	Approx. %
Flush Draw	11%
Open-Ended Straight Draw	10%
Combo Draw (OESD + Flush)	1%
Total	~22%

Marginal / Weak Outcomes:​

Outcome	Approx. %
One Pair (9 or 8)	29%
No Pair, No Draw	33%
Gutshot Straight Draw	11%
Total	~73%

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​

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So what hands should you play multiway?​

• Pocket pairs: Flop a set ~12% of the time—almost 2.5x as often as suited connectors.
• Suited Ax or Kx: Can make top pair with the best kicker, and when you hit a flush, you’re often over-flushing.

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​

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🧠 Small Edges Add Up​

Avoiding marginal multiway spots (or at least picking the right hands for them) won’t make you rich overnight — but it’s how winning players separate from breakeven ones. And don’t forget: in most live games, especially 1/2 or 1/3, rake quietly turns marginal plays into losing ones.

Next session, track:

• How many multiway pots you enter
• Which hands you’re using

What’s the last multiway pot you regret playing, and why?
🤝 Let’s share some leaks and plug them together.
​

 

[fundiver199]

I am not a live player, but I do agree, its a bit of a misconception, that small suited connectors are awesome in multiway pots. There are a number of issues including:

* When you make a flush, you might be overflushed.
* When you make a flush on the flop or turn, your hand needs protection, so you dont have the option to slowplay it.
* When you make a flush, you cant get paid, because everyone freeze up on monotone boards in multiway pots.
* When you make two pair, there are always draws available, and sometimes people already have a straight.
* When you make two pair, they are sometimes counterfeited by a bigger pair on the board.
* When you make trips, you could be outkicked.
* You sometimes make the low end of a straight.
* You cant effectively semibluff in multiway pots.
* Its really tough to get a small pair to showdown in a multiway pot.

This all sound very pessimistic. However the harsh reality is, small suited connectors might look pretty, but if you are an online cash game player and check your database, you are very likely losing money with these hands and would benefit from simply folding them preflop more often. At least that was my experience, when I played cash games years ago.

 

[CRStals]

It's common for a lot of players to over-value playing suited connectors because they can flop so well, but many struggle with what happens when you don't flop well and the point about avoiding them in a multi-way pot is a great one. Really nice article and welcome to CardsChat

 

[WinnersCircle]

It's common for a lot of players to over-value playing suited connectors because they can flop so well, but many struggle with what happens when you don't flop well and the point about avoiding them in a multi-way pot is a great one. Really nice article and welcome to CardsChat

Thanks! The goal will be to post one every week

 

[SpanRmonka]

This is the sort of gold dust that many people here at CC will really value.

Can I please ask a follow up question? Are they more or less playable/profitable in tournaments, in multiway pots, and why?

I mostly don't play cash as I just don't have the repetetive discipline needed, but feel like I do often play these hands in tournaments multiway.

Another reason not to play them is that you can be put in so many difficult spots post flop with any made hand.

 

[Igor G]

Cool. Very interesting. It's not easy to find such information, especially for free. Thanks to the community and you, my friend

 

[MK_]

I like big pots and I cannot lie😎.... nice post👍

 

[S3mper]

One thing I think people tend to believe is that in certain spots they think they are "priced in" when going multi-way but this ignores 1.) The rake. 2.) equity realization.

 

[perrywh]

I don’t play suited connectors in tournament until I have a big stack. Reason being the flop gives you a draw that keeps you feeding the pot. I hate being short stacked after just a few hands.

 

[WinnersCircle]

This is the sort of gold dust that many people here at CC will really value.

Can I please ask a follow up question? Are they more or less playable/profitable in tournaments, in multiway pots, and why?

I mostly don't play cash as I just don't have the repetetive discipline needed, but feel like I do often play these hands in tournaments multiway.

Another reason not to play them is that you can be put in so many difficult spots post flop with any made hand.

Addressing the last part first, the bottom of your range (the least profitable) in any given spot, are by nature the most difficult to play. In order to profit with them, you have to execute at a very high level.

As far as tournaments go, the difference is attributed to that sneaky part of my post:

"And don’t forget: in most live games, especially 1/2 or 1/3, rake quietly turns marginal plays into losing ones."

The absence of rake in tournament hands means that you can now profit with more hands. So any hand that you would breakeven with or be a marginal loser with in cash games has the ability to be a profitable hand. But make no mistake, you're not going to crush with those hands.

 

[Tero]

Nice opening thread for a new member

 

[Jillychemung]

Very good advice on playing suited connectors preflop. In the $200/$300NLH games I play, I'm folding these most of the time instead of limping along but will mix in some large raises from the BTN & CO depending on the players.

 

[Bricxjo]

Looking forward to more posts, thanks!

 

[NightFun]

Nor do I play live, but sure like seeing some stats and those numbers are surprising! thanks for the great post and keep them coming! welcome!

 

[Poker_Mike]

📈 Win-Rate Wednesday : Stop Bleeding Chips in Multiway Pots​

A lot of players in live cash games love to see multiway flops — it feels like a chance to win a big one. But the reality is: you rarely flop strong hands, and when you’re up against 3+ opponents, someone else usually connects.
​

🤔 Quick Quiz:​

​

📊Here are the real numbers:​

​

Big Made Hands (Two Pair or Better):​

​

Outcome	Approx. %
Two Pair	2%
Trips	1%
Straight	1%
Flush	1%
Full House/Quads	<1%
Total	~5%

Good Draws:​

​

Outcome	Approx. %
Flush Draw	11%
Open-Ended Straight Draw	10%
Combo Draw (OESD + Flush)	1%
Total	~22%

Marginal / Weak Outcomes:​

​

Outcome	Approx. %
One Pair (9 or 8)	29%
No Pair, No Draw	33%
Gutshot Straight Draw	11%
Total	~73%

​

---

​

---

So what hands should you play multiway?​

• Pocket pairs: Flop a set ~12% of the time—almost 2.5x as often as suited connectors.
• Suited Ax or Kx: Can make top pair with the best kicker, and when you hit a flush, you’re often over-flushing.

​

---

​

---

🧠 Small Edges Add Up​

Avoiding marginal multiway spots (or at least picking the right hands for them) won’t make you rich overnight — but it’s how winning players separate from breakeven ones. And don’t forget: in most live games, especially 1/2 or 1/3, rake quietly turns marginal plays into losing ones.

Next session, track:

• How many multiway pots you enter
• Which hands you’re using

What’s the last multiway pot you regret playing, and why?
🤝 Let’s share some leaks and plug them together.
​

Yes the beauty of suited connectors is that there are a lot of ways to win with them.

I have a friend who not only loves suited connectors - she knows how to play them - and multi-way pots build-up her winnings nicely.

I have been fortunate enough to have the foresight to fold my hand if she continues to call the OR because....boom - there is something nutty for her on the turn or river!

For the record she loves playing them in 4 and 5-handed pots - she is definitely getting pot-odds! In fact it would be a mistake for her not to play suited connectors with that much action.

I can see her dorsal fin a mile away LOL