Need help with 2 hands

[IgorSmiles]

Blinds 200/400 and nearing the bubble. I have just under 6000 and so does Villain. We are virtually tied in chips and slightly below average chip count. I lead out from first position for 3X BB, 1200 with Jacks. He puts me all in and table folds. Call? The only read I have on this guy is that he played A/7 suited and hit an ace against a pair of Queens a few hands earlier to double to his current stack size.

Different Tourney, early on. Blinds 50/100, I have almost 4000 in chips and average is about 3000. Mid position limper in pot with 3000 in his stack and I am in small blind with 9s. No read on this guy. Too early and not much has gone to showdown. I make it 300 to go and he calls. Flop is 10/7/7 two spades. I bet 500 and he calls. 10 comes on turn. I check, he checks behind. Nine on river. What's your play?

[pokahjokah]

On hand 1, I think it is an easy push if you think he would go allin again with A X suited, You may get unlucky, but drawing to one overcard is the type of situation you want for your pocket Jacks. AQ, AK, is a coin flip, AA,KK,QQ you are dominated, and TT and below you are way ahead. So, I guess this comes down to what percent of the time you thik he would have a dominating hand or not.

On hand 2, I would be the river, and fold to a large re-raise. If he has a higher pair, or a 7, your are dominating him. So, the only thing he could be playing that hurts you is a hand with a Ten in it, and I don't think the chances of that are high with the preflop bet. Maybe TT? or AT....KT,QT if he is loose.

So to sum it all up, I dunno.... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[IgorSmiles]

No opinions on either hand? They both seem somewhat straight forward but I was looking for some analysis.

[Msogard]

Hand 1 is close, but i'd probably fold. You're a coinflip at best and around the bubble I wouldn't put my entire stack on JJ. I'm assuming he made a raise with A7 earlier, instead of coming over the top of someone.

Hand 2 I'd check and let him bluff at the pot. He probably bluffs here with Ace high or a missed straight draw. If you bet you're only getting called by a hand that beats you. If he has the 7 he'll still bet, assuming you wouldn't check the 10 down. I think your hand is good, but it's hard without a little information on your opponent.

[pokahjokah]

Ya,
It is hard to tell without any type or read on your opponents. I think your hand is good in hand 2 and I would probably fold my JJ to an allin in hand 1 if you are trying to make the money, but if you are trying to make it to the final table, then call.

[Lloyd]

On hand 1 I would probably call. It's 100% read dependent in terms of what hands you think he would push with. If you put him on AA-TT, AK-AJ (which could be a little loose) you're just about 50-50 so with the 1200 you've already put in the pot you've got odds to call.

On hand 2, first of all you might want to raise more pre-flop if you're goal is to win the pot right then. And if that's not the goal (i.e. playing for a set), then you might as well call and let the BB in for better implied odds. Flop bet seems good. I would probably check-fold on the turn so that seems good. On the river, you most likely have the best hand. I can't imagine he wouldn't raise at some point with TT. I'd lead out for around 600 which if he has something like AT he would probably call.

[Potowame]

Hand #1

This Depends on how he played the A7. If he made a reasonable play with it, like push in from the Button folded to with a Short stack. But, if he reraised a early position raiser with A7 than I would call. If not its a tough call, I really dont like getting it all-in preflop with JJ.

Hand #2
I would check and hope for him to bluff a missed flush draw.

[Iconoclastic]

1- Sometimes the best solution to a problem is to not get yourself into that situation in the first place. JJ is like AQ in that it's a hand that if you raise in EP, it will be very difficult for you if you are reraised. I don't remember which poker guru said this, but "don't raise if a reraise will make you throw up". The blinds aren't high enough relative to stacks that you should be gambling with JJ at this point.

Limp the JJ preflop. If you set, you're gold. Even if you don't get a set, you still have position on the blinds. Depending on reads, you might even limp-reraise all in if you get reraised preflop. It's better to push all in than to call all in.

At the point you were at, it would depend on the previous read and whether he qualifies as a Maniac or a Good Player. I like to play to win so if he's not a good player, it's gambling time!

2- You raised preflop without a premium hand and knowing that your opponent is going to call you (because he limped from MP and he knows he has position on you and will likely be HU). Bad move. Go for the set.

The first mistake preflop led to the tough decisions on the rest of the streets. He could have anything. If you check he will probably bet (either value or bluff). The chances of him checking behind are slim.

It's hard for you to bluff big here because if you lose you're beached. Again, none of these dangerous situations would have occurred if you had limped preflop. But I would bet a quarter of the stack or so. He might only have a 7, as well as a T. You're saying, "I either have a good but not great hand, or I have the nuts and I want you to call." It will be difficult for him to push unless he has the nuts/a good read on you/maniacal tendencies. A quarter of the pot bet will not committ you and should get some value and also at the same time put some fear of the nuts into him.

[KUjayhawk08]

I disagree with a limp here. Sure, the limp re-raise play would be great, but it's certainly not a guarantee that someone is going to raise a 1st position limper. To me, limping is just asking for KJ, 33, etc. to limp behind you and crack those jacks. If you don't flop a set, it's unlikely that you have the best hand. And if you do have the best hand, you are likely not getting much out of it. I like the raise to 1200. I don't believe you stated what position the guy that put you all-in was. If he is right behind you, I'd probably throw the jacks away. But if he's in late position, without the fear of someone behind him having a huge hand, he could be pushing in with 77-1010 AJ-AK. After his all-in reraise there's 7800 in that pot and you are left with 4800. I'm definitely calling here with JJ. If you win this pot, you're sitting at 12k plus you're close to the bubble, which means you can take blind after blind with your newly acquired big stack.

[Roman]

how do you ever get chips? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I would always raise in hand #1. As for calling the allin, depends on how aggressive he has been. Also, if the table is usually really weak, I almost always fold here and steal my way back.

For hand #2, I prolly raise here around 50% of the time, and I would check river hoping for the bluff.

[IgorSmiles]

Thanks for the opinions guys. Some good things to think over. Here's my thinking:

First hand I put him on two overs, and I was right. I called quickly and he hit an ace. It seemed a typical coin flip, but in my depression of bubbling, I was thinking maybe I shouldve thought a little harder. He could have As, Ks or Qs, in which case I'm deadmeat, and he may have overs. 10s or 9s werent impossible but less likely. If I fold, I still have slightly over 10X BB and will surely sneak into the money and maybe find a better spot to double up. But that A/7 hand just screamed at me to call!

The second hand really hurt. If the 9 doesnt come on the river there is no way I lose more than 800 in chips. My 3X BB preflop bet out of position can be second guessed but I'll live with it. 10/7/7 flop looks good for me so I bet, hoping he'd go away. When he flat called, I thought "Overpair?" "A/10?" If he has the 10, he may just be calling in case I have the overpair. So then another 10 comes on the turn, and I am done with this hand...but he checks behind and i fill up on the river. I make what I felt was a solid value bet but maybe a little more, about a third of my stack. He quickly raises all in and take that as a bluff and call. He turns over Q/10 and I shake my head and wonder what was I thinking?! IN retrospect, if he was gonna represent the 10, it wouldve been on the turn and to call his reraise all in wasnt too bright. But catching my 2 outter from hell really put me in a spot.

And thoughts on my play?

Thanks.