Pocket Jacks Early

[loose passive]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t20 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP1 (t1340)
MP2 (t1480)
MP3 (t1520)
CO (t1740)
Button (t1700)
SB (t1200)
Hero (t1500)
UTG (t1500)
UTG+1 (t1520)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, J/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, MP1 calls t20, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Button calls t20, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t200</font>, MP1 folds, Button folds, SB calls t180.

Flop: (t440) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t400</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t880</font>, Hero?

Critique any aspect you want.

[Isura]

You can probably accomplish the same thing preflop by raising about 120T. I would fold to the check-raise, but what do I know.

[Degen]

i wouldnt' raise that PF...but otherwise, you are definately putting all your chips in on that flop.


Andre

[pindawg]

If he was going to get tricky preflop with QQ KK or AA he would have limp-raised rather then limp-called. As for the flop, the board is most likely under cards to his pocket 9's and he's putting you on two high cards. Call it and double up early.

[JP Rocks]

Assuming this is an $11 (even if its not, this is the only level my advice should extend to), I would take a swig of dutch courage and push. If he had hit a set after making a poor preflop call, he probably would have continued to slowplay. I the only hand you would be behind to that I could really understand is QQ, because in these games, people usually blow their wad with KK and AA. Expect to see AK, AQ or 77-1010 90% of the time...

[durron597]

I haven't seen a hand where these small raises didn't mean a huge hand, then again I'm starting to fold to these small raises a lot so what do I know.

When I see other players call them they are nearly always (90%+) a big hand.

[Karak567]

I'd push and expect to see AK or AQ.

[loose passive]

Results....

I reraise all in and SB calls with 6 /images/graemlins/heart.gif A /images/graemlins/spade.gif

My hand holds up and I nearly double up on the 5th hand.
/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Nick M]

Personally in the first level I like to keep the pots as small as possible preflop, with still getting the point across. Meaning I like to leave myself a decent amount of chips, so I can take a stab at the pot if the flop is sorta questionable for my hand, and still be able to fold If I get raised. That being said, I would raise to 100 preflop, and as long as all 3 don't call, all the money gets in on THAT flop. But if a Kxx comes on the flop, I still can make a stab if I only had one caller preflop. I hope that makes sense.

[Sam T.]

I'd raise less PF, to around t100.

On that flop, get it in. Get it all in. People are silly.

Sam

[JP Rocks]

And that is why you cant be afraid of check raisers at PS...

[Blarg]

Looks like he put you on two high cards that missed the flop.

I don't agree at all with the people who say they expect to see AQ and AK here. That would be a pure bluff by someone with nothing worth speaking of as an out if he gets called. More likely is that he has at least something. I figure him for the pair of 9's, like one of the responders here said, or A-x or K-x where x matches one of the flop cards.

Since you don't have just two high cards that missed the flop, you're probably ahead here, No guarantees, of course.

You're getting risking 480 chips to gain 1700. 3.5 to 1 and you may be ahead. You're going to lose a lot, but those are pretty good odds for the situation you're in. SB still has 180 chips to risk, so you're in danger of losing slightly more, and also gaining slightly more. Still, it's a good deal.

Your first bet was so large, it made you pot-committed too early. I would have tried to avoid the situation of betting the whole tourney on JJ, and doing it so early, by making my initial raise much, much smaller, 3 or 4 times the BB.