A♣4♣ HJ vs CO, preflop, 70 bb
The spot
- You: HJ
- Opponent: CO
- Your hand: A♣4♣
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 70 bb
- Pot: 2 bb
Folded to hero preflop in 6‑max.
What is the strongest default preflop action?
See the answer
Best play: Raise / 3-bet
Why
Hero holds A4s (A♣4♣) in the HJ and it folds to hero, so this is a first-in open-raise, not a 3‑bet. The HJ opens a fairly wide range (around 18-20 percent) and a suited wheel ace belongs in it: the ace plus the suitedness give nut-flush potential, blocker value against bigger aces, and the low straight card adds playability, so raising is clearly correct.
Key idea
From the HJ, suited aces down to A2s-A5s are standard first-in opens because the suitedness unlocks nut-flush equity and blocker value that the offsuit versions lack.
Common mistake
Treating a low suited ace as too weak to open from middle position, when in fact A4s is comfortably inside the HJ first-in range.