Trigger shy with Jacks

[kennyh]

I'm not writing to complain about bad beats or to commiserate about how tough it is to play JJ. I'm just wondering if I made the right moves playing JJ live;

I was playing a $60 single rebuy tournament at a card room in New Hampshire. I had just lost 2 big hands holding JJ in the span of 15 min. The first hand I had called a short stack all in, he had QQ. On the 2nd hand I was in MP and reraised for about 15BB, A7o and QTo called and they both hit their cards.

So I rebought for $60, which brought me back to 50BB. Of course, the first hand I see is JJ again on the BB. After a 2.5x raise from a LAG UTG+1, an even looser player shoves for slightly more than 50BB from the CO. The All in had been raising ATC and was constantly reraising very light. I knew that I definately had his range covered, and I had twice the stack of the initial raiser. I wanted to call, but after being burned twice by JJ in such a short time I couldn't bring myself to do it. UTG+1 calls and shows 22's and the CO shows 78 off. A 7 comes on the flop and he wins with a pair of 7s. I would have won.

Should I have made the call or let it go?

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

don't let past suckouts influence your future decisions.

if you are that rattled by a beat you took, the better thing is to not rebuy. walk it off.

it sounds like you know you should have called with the JJ. I would agree.

 

[kennyh]

You're right, I know I should have called. Had it been unlimited rebuys I would have. Or if it had been an online tournament. But it's so hard to make all in decisions knowing that if I lose I have to drive 40 mins home.

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

Believe it or not I totally understand as I am one if the few cardschat regulars who plays primarily live.

However, that is one of the mental preparations you must make in order to be successful at live poker.

I live rurally and it's a minimum 45-60 min drive for me one way when I bust out. (Depending on which card room) I totally get it.

It helps a little one of the card rooms has a 2nd tourney each night. But the other does not. Perhaps that should be part of your strategy...having enough bankroll to play 2 tourneys.... Or having other fun plans you can do after busting so it's not just a long depressing drive home.

 

[thatgreekdude]

don't let past suckouts influence your future decisions.

if you are that rattled by a beat you took, the better thing is to not rebuy. walk it off.

it sounds like you know you should have called with the JJ. I would agree.

Agree with missjacki You can never take poker personally, or hold on to bad beats, you can only focus on making the best decisions possible, everything else is out of your control.

 

[kennyh]

Believe it or not I totally understand as I am one if the few cardschat regulars who plays primarily live.

However, that is one of the mental preparations you must make in order to be successful at live poker.

I live rurally and it's a minimum 45-60 min drive for me one way when I bust out. (Depending on which card room) I totally get it.

It helps a little one of the card rooms has a 2nd tourney each night. But the other does not. Perhaps that should be part of your strategy...having enough bankroll to play 2 tourneys.... Or having other fun plans you can do after busting so it's not just a long depressing drive home.

Great suggestions Jacki. I guess my mental preparation never really takes into account the fact that I may just go busto early (even tho its quite likely when trying to take down a relatively fast tourny)

 

[es530]

I think you should pay quietly, but it's just my opnion.

 

[eichroll]

This is going to depend on the image given by the CO. the EP raise you have to assume will fold 75% of his range to a shove pre. So essentially is your hand beating the CO shove? That's how I look at it. I may be wrong though

 

[kennyh]

Exactly, I am pretty sure CO shoving quite light trying to steal and that EP probably is folding. I figured at best he has 2 overs or some Ax. He's probably not overshoving w/ AA KK or QQ. I guess my read was right, move was wrong.

 

[suby_rafael]

This was a good opportunity missed because you knew the loose player is raising with any two cards so it was just the perfect opportunity to put the money in.

Letting this go was definitely a mistake. It is one thing to be unsure against tighter/good players in tight situations holding jacks. But in this situation against an ATC loose player was an easy chance to take.

 

[chuckdiesel1]

I hate jacks. Fold them all day. Seriously though you had a lot of information about the other two people in the hand. trust your gut next time. not your wallet.

 

[kennyh]

I hate jacks. Fold them all day. Seriously though you had a lot of information about the other two people in the hand. trust your gut next time. not your wallet.

I hear ya, it's not even the money I was concerned about, it was the fact that it was a single rebut and I'd just rebought. I figured I'd have less risky opportunities later.

I did end up making it fifth, it only paid top three and no one wanted to chop. Kinda weird, we all had about 15bb left and could have walked away with $400 each but they were against it.

 

[Jacki Burkhart]

I hear ya, it's not even the money I was concerned about, it was the fact that it was a single rebut and I'd just rebought. I figured I'd have less risky opportunities later.

I did end up making it fifth, it only paid top three and no one wanted to chop. Kinda weird, we all had about 15bb left and could have walked away with $400 each but they were against it.

I don't ever chop in a spot like that. I have a lot of confidence in my short handed short stacked game so if everyone's equal in stacks Id rather play it out and go for first. If there are 1 or 2 huge stacks I might agree to chop but I'll never propose it.