Why do a lot of people say JJ is a terrible hand?

PapelonJede

PapelonJede

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Total posts
17
Chips
0
I think that is a good hand, but is very difficult play it correctly
 
J

Julez97

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Total posts
25
Chips
0
JJ is a great hand if you know how to play it. Most inexperienced players struggle with it because they either play it too passively or to aggressively and find themselves in tough spots. It does require some nuance. Its a hand that you want to typically raise, and occasionally jam in the right scenario. When you flop an overpair with it, you should generally go with it on 100bb stacks. When you flop middle pair or worse you should look to get to showdown or fold to aggression. Its not always a fun hand to play, but with basic skill you should do quite favorably.
 
tagece

tagece

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Total posts
1,936
Awards
2
BR
Chips
894
It could put you in hard decisions after flop. Once A, K or Q flops, you will need a good read on the villain if you face a raise.
No reason to fold it. But it's not a premium hand, in my opinion.
 
Collin Moshman

Collin Moshman

Poker Expert
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 11, 2009
Total posts
1,317
Awards
3
Chips
2
People say this because we're programmed to remember the tricky decisions and lost pots. But overall, JJ is a great hand. It does very well against most opponent ranges, and in the long run, you'll likely win good money when you're dealt it over a large enough sample :)
 
F

Frank7Chipman

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 16, 2020
Total posts
20
Chips
0
It is hard to play pocket jacks

In early position, the classic approach with pocket jacks is to bet hard, 4 times big blind. You want to isolate the number of players that call. In late position, in similar fashion I want to push out players. Assuming that I am heads up on the flop, I am going to do a continuation bet on the flop, almost no matter what. However, if this is re-raised I am out. I was knocked out of a big tournament final table by hooks when I had AK. I don't underestimate the power of this hand, but it must be played carefully.
 
Waleswasp

Waleswasp

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 3, 2020
Total posts
479
Awards
12
Chips
255
Because every time you raise with it then a re-raise inevitably means you’re up against AA KK or QQ. Hard to get away from.
 
1

1nsomn1a

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
May 24, 2020
Total posts
797
Chips
2
All starting hands are similar. With any one you can win a big pot or lose the same amount. It all depends on the mistakes that can be made in any hand, be careful, do not play rashly and too aggressively on dangerous flops or if there is an overcard, and any hand will be good for You.:)
 
lcid86

lcid86

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Feb 28, 2009
Total posts
3,237
Awards
9
US
Chips
676
It's a face card so you feel good about it. However, any flop with QK or A immediately makes you sweat.
 
wagon596

wagon596

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Total posts
3,767
Awards
13
Chips
11
I wouldn't call it a terrible hand, but you have to remember, there's a 50% chance that an Ace, King or a Queen will come on the flop. Then what do you do when one or more of them flop?
 
S

stephan7

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 12, 2020
Total posts
102
Chips
0
What do think about It?


It's not a terrible hand. It's just a hand where you have to be careful. Someone goes all-in with Ace-King and you are in a bad spot. Praying for no king or ace haha. I have been there both on the winning and losing side so it is not necessarily a bad hand just a hand where you never know what will happen. If you can I would raise and see the flop but not go all-in unless someone else does then you gotta think about it. Hope this helps :):jd4::jd4:
 
V

valetgll

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Total posts
697
Awards
1
Chips
17
I have not only 2 jacks but also 10 10 excellent pair. And all that is less than a couple dozen already seems to have average value for me. But anyway, any pocket pair is better than AK.
 
57noona

57noona

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Total posts
1,832
Awards
2
US
Chips
19
I like JJ as a starting hand. I will reraise a raise with this hand. I try to win the pot right away in Tournament play. If you do see a flop you have to know when to lay it down.
 
C

CallmeFloppy

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Total posts
1,296
Awards
2
Chips
1
JJ is a good hand but can be a tough hand to play. If you see a flop you will often see an over card on the board. People tend to have a tough time understanding where they are in a hand after the flop.
 
R

ROYALROAD

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Total posts
771
Awards
2
Chips
108
JJ

It depend on the situation of the place completely.

It isn't a so bad hand.
 
mar_dragan

mar_dragan

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 1, 2015
Total posts
1,032
Chips
0
Because i guess everybody consider AA,KK,QQ and JJ stong hands.
But in this case JJ is the weakest.
And when you go all in with JJ preflop,you don't have great odds liek you have with AA.
 
A

abpoker

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Total posts
133
Awards
1
Chips
0
Becauseit's vulnerable and people often lose significant pots with it. I like it, because it is a strong hand, you just have to realize how vulnerable it is, and play it cautiously. And be willing to fold it late in a hand, when even though you've invested some significant money into the pot, you can tell you are beat.
 
eberetta1

eberetta1

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Total posts
2,266
Awards
7
US
Chips
277
Because it is a hand most people have a hard time walking away from. It should not be too hard to fold if you see you are beat, but people would rather lose their whole stack and sink with JJ than believe another person paired the A, K, or Q. In their hand. Even more embarassing, you guess correctly, villain has no A, K, or Q. They flop a set with low cards, complete a straight, or hold the flush. And you rebuy, because you believe JJ is the nuts with no face cards on the table. And villain shows, um, that you do not have the nuts.
 
M

molokheia

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Total posts
1,302
Awards
2
Chips
30
Hi There

Altough I won some hands I lost others
But indeed is a difficult hand to play the right way
Anyway, i would go allin with it
Rgds
 
6

619Leafs

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 30, 2017
Total posts
1,790
Awards
1
Chips
4
Pocket Jacks is a very good hand. The "terrible" part comes from when it is hard to lay down the hand when Q'S, K'S or A'S hit any part of the board. You could potentially lose a lot of chips if you call a bet on the turn and river and your opponent has you beat with a better hand.
 
smallfrie

smallfrie

Lucky Ducky
Loyaler
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Total posts
2,763
Awards
2
US
Chips
351
It can be difficult to play post flop.
 
C

celtics33

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Total posts
102
Chips
0
JJ is a great hand but you have to know how to play it postflop. as any hand, it can be beat. people just over-value it and get it trouble because of that. ive seen people go all-in with JJ after the flop which comes up A, Q, 5. thats just a receipe for disaster.
 
TheSeaWizard

TheSeaWizard

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 11, 2019
Total posts
103
Chips
0
NEVER diss Jacks around me. Ever.

I have had great experiences with Jacks and I only had to fold them preflop once every five months.

Somehow I have seen tens win more often than Jacks.
 
S

stil370

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Total posts
791
Awards
1
Chips
138
What do think about It?

I personally like JJ. I usually put in a good size raise and if someone calls me and the flop is everything under JJ, I then put in another large bet, pot size at minimum or I even jam if the situation is right.
 
Shumkoolie

Shumkoolie

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Total posts
1,209
Awards
1
Chips
0
People say this because we're programmed to remember the tricky decisions and lost pots. But overall, JJ is a great hand. It does very well against most opponent ranges, and in the long run, you'll likely win good money when you're dealt it over a large enough sample :)

Agreed - you have to know your opponents and try and pick up on their patterns. It's almost as if you are no longer playing your cards, but rather your opponents. Even if an overcard comes, it's not necessarily a bad thing.....REMEMBER, that overcard may be bad for them as well, so you want to apply pressure in the right situation. That comes with practice. It sounds easy, but I'm still trying to figure this out too.

In early position, the classic approach with pocket jacks is to bet hard, 4 times big blind. You want to isolate the number of players that call. In late position, in similar fashion I want to push out players. Assuming that I am heads up on the flop, I am going to do a continuation bet on the flop, almost no matter what. However, if this is re-raised I am out. I was knocked out of a big tournament final table by hooks when I had AK. I don't underestimate the power of this hand, but it must be played carefully.

If you do that, what if someone 3 bets you? The problem with a big pre-flop raise is that you are building a bigger pot pre-flop. You don't necessarily want to do that either, because now, you have more chips in the pot even before a flop comes, and THEN what? If you have an opponent who is tricky, they can apply pressure to you.

Conversely, if the best case scenario hits, and you flop a set, then you're in REAL good shape. I guess it's just about how you feel about committing more chips pre-flop.

It's not a terrible hand. It's just a hand where you have to be careful. Someone goes all-in with Ace-King and you are in a bad spot. Praying for no king or ace haha. I have been there both on the winning and losing side so it is not necessarily a bad hand just a hand where you never know what will happen. If you can I would raise and see the flop but not go all-in unless someone else does then you gotta think about it. Hope this helps :):jd4::jd4:

If you're in a tournament situation and you are facing a single all-in, you're almost always calling with that hand. If you run into Queens, Kings, or Aces, well, that's just a cooler. But, seeing AK, while not great, it still a drawing hand and has to improve, so you WANT to be in that situation where you have the better hand. Remember, to win poker tournaments, as Gripsed (Evan Jarvis) mentioned on his stream today (twitch.tv/gripsed) you have to run well, run ahead of expectation and avoid getting unlucky.
 
Starting Hands - Poker Hand Nicknames Rankings - Poker Hands
Top