7♠6♠ HJ vs CO, preflop, 70 bb
The spot
- You: HJ
- Opponent: CO
- Your hand: 7♠6♠
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 70 bb
- Pot: 8 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 76s (7♠6♠) in the HJ and it folds to hero, so this is a first-in open-raise. Suited connectors like 76s are core HJ opens: they make straights and flushes, play well postflop in single-raised pots, and the HJ range is wide enough to include them, so raising is clearly correct.
Key idea
Suited connectors are opened for their postflop equity and blockers, not their raw high-card strength; from the HJ, 76s is firmly inside the first-in range.
Common mistake
Folding suited connectors from the HJ because they miss most flops, ignoring the strong implied odds and equity that justify the open.