7♠6♠ CO vs BTN, preflop, 90 bb

Best play: Raise / 3-bet

Why

Folded to hero in CO is a first-in open, and 7♠6♠ is a connected suited middle hand squarely inside the CO RFI range (~25-27%). Open-raising it steals the blinds and gives strong, deceptive postflop equity through straights, flushes, and disguised two-pair, so raise is the correct steal-and-playability default rather than a fold or an impossible call.

Key idea

Suited connectors like 76s are bread-and-butter CO opens: they steal blinds now and flop disguised straights and flushes that win big pots later.

Common mistake

Folding suited connectors first-in from late position as 'too weak.' 76s is well inside the CO open range; folding it is too tight and forfeits steal plus playability EV.