How to play Jacks?

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westcoast415

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Well atleast for me, i've always seem to lose to when i have JJ.. online and live poker JJ just dont like me... no matter what i do raise pre, check flop, (Q 6 K) cause thats what usually comes out, then i lose because i keep checkcalling... i think i just might start throwing away JJ from now on , but its still hard to throw away preflop... any super suggestion for this noob..?
 
fubarcdn

fubarcdn

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Figuring out what to do with pocket jacks is as hard as figuring out the Caramilk secret. :)
 
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chauncey274

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1. Get the idea out of your head that JJ is a hand where you're going to be making tons of money every time you get it.

2. Analyze it. Probably alittle less than half the time you get to see a flop you are going to see an A, K or Q. So at that point you have to play it as if you've hit second pair, or third pair if you have two of them come off. If you had JT and flop came A-J-3, how would you play it?

3. When you bet or 3 bet pre, understand that unlike with QQ or KK, you are going to have a few more hands that have two over cards that you are going to be up against. KQ, AQ, AK, turning that match up into a coin flip situation. Play it accordingly if you meet strong resistance.

There are so many variables that you can't account for that asking "how do I play this hand" just won't get you all the information. Find a spot where you lost with JJ, and analyze it. I bet you that find a spot in most of them where you simply over valued your hand.
 
WVHillbilly

WVHillbilly

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Top 5 or 6 money making hand. Stop bitching about JJ.
 
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joe777

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Sometimes i treat the hand like middle pair and just call the blind UTG and usually fold to three bet but depends on table dynamic.
 
Mase31683

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Top 5 or 6 money making hand. Stop bitching about JJ.

^^^winnar!!!!!


In response to your OP though:

You said you'd raise pre, that's good. Then you check on [Q6K], that's bad. Then you say you check/call down, that's even worse.

I'd be fine with raise pre, then cbetting that flop. But what hands bets into you here that you beat?
 
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hffjd2000

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You want the pot right now. You have to raise big.

If two overcards on the flop, have to be defensive.

If one, continue aggression.
 
PapaC

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JJ is bad news for me most of the time, so I either make small raise pre or limp if I can, then fold if over cards come. I see many players will play them to their death no matter what. I just can't do that. Most of the time I don't do this, but last night I was at a table at Seals With Clubs and this one player was going all in a lot and I caught JJ and he went all in and I not folding because of the way he was playing. I won the hand and even so he continues to play like that.
 
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westcoast415

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hey thanks guys for the feed back i really appreciate..i probally do suck , just like most of u..
 
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DunningKruger

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Before I clicked on this topic I made a wager with myself that someone's posted the Marty Smith how to play pocket jacks thing by now.

I.... lost? I think.
 
onebourbon

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Well atleast for me, i've always seem to lose to when i have JJ.. online and live poker JJ just dont like me... no matter what i do raise pre, check flop, (Q 6 K) cause thats what usually comes out, then i lose because i keep checkcalling... i think i just might start throwing away JJ from now on , but its still hard to throw away preflop... any super suggestion for this noob..?

Too many unknown variables to advise - they sure look nice though...lol

:jd4: :jd4:
 
suby_rafael

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If you raise pre flop with with jacks and see a flop without getting 3bet then you should definitely make atleast one continuation bet on the flop most of the times no matter what the flop is because chances of one or more over card arriving on the flop is pretty high.

Simply check calling is a bad idea as it will not give you the right information. And simply folding them pre flop is an even worse thought.:eek:
 
vallkilla

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1. Get the idea out of your head that JJ is a hand where you're going to be making tons of money every time you get it.

2. Analyze it. Probably alittle less than half the time you get to see a flop you are going to see an A, K or Q. So at that point you have to play it as if you've hit second pair, or third pair if you have two of them come off. If you had JT and flop came A-J-3, how would you play it?

3. When you bet or 3 bet pre, understand that unlike with QQ or KK, you are going to have a few more hands that have two over cards that you are going to be up against. KQ, AQ, AK, turning that match up into a coin flip situation. Play it accordingly if you meet strong resistance.

There are so many variables that you can't account for that asking "how do I play this hand" just won't get you all the information. Find a spot where you lost with JJ, and analyze it. I bet you that find a spot in most of them where you simply over valued your hand.

Thanks, chauncey! Great advice.

My thoughts about topic: I've always bet with JJ.

In early position: min raise; middle+ position: 3-4 bet
If a got a flop with one overcard then contbet smth little bigger than a pot. In case with 2 overcards slightly little than a pot. All the action ahead depends on information about opponents that I have.
 
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bigjay2007

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Oh man!!!,

i just watched the you tube video and laughed my ass off!! I will be sending this to all my poker buddies as I know they will enjoy it as much as I did. Your question will most likely never be answered, and if there is someone who figures out how to play JJ, maybe they should patten there response and make a few hundred million in the process. Great post and loved the comments. (except Mr. Ignorant who had to hurl a senseless insult)

Bigjay
 
WeenieSVK

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as always, it depends :D But try to play it postflop against 1, max 2 opponents. So if sh1tload of players limps in front of you, its great hand to squeeze.
 
sandund

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It depends, "Never do the same trick, for the same audience, more than once" rule
 
pcgnome

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Top 5 or 6 money making hand. Stop bitching about JJ.
lolol. There are a few easy ways to remember how to play it. You can play it the same as a any other pocket pair, and go for a set on the flop.
When there's an overcard on the board after you miss the set post-flop, and you are OOP you can just make a standard bet. You have to fold if the villain 3 bets back into you. JJ has more equity than AKs against any other random hand.
When you get it , and you have only around 10 - 15 BBs you're going to have to put your chips all in.
 
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zEric7x

zEric7x

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Top 5 or 6 money making hand. Stop bitching about JJ.

Well the issue for me is that while it a strong hand it is not very strong. It is hand that feels hard to get away from. I feel it is better (at least for me) to value it it differently than QQ+. It feels more like 88,99,TT to me.
 
PapaC

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I just had a hand today with JJ. There was two early players and me in the hand. The first bets 200 and the next raises to 400, and my first thought was to go all in and run them out. But several members here are working with me to stop that. It is one of my biggest mistakes. So I thought about it that time and just called. There was an A and 2 low cards come on the flop. First player checks and so does the other and so do I. Well because of the A there was only one bet on the turn for 200. One of those players had KK. So it only cost me 600 chips to see the Js to the river, but if there had been a bet after the flop I could have gotten away from the hand, but with the all in I was out of the tourny.
 
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zgaiba23

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What hands are you beating when you shove the flop? more importantly, what is he calling you with? Probably KK, AA, AK and has either hit the fd or has a higher fd that you do.
 
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