JJ - Good laydown or wimpy poker?

[Pirc Defense]

Paradise $.50-1

I have JJ in the SB. Two limpers to me, I limp and the BB checks. Flop is T89 rainbow. I bet, get a caller and a raiser…three see the turn, which makes the board T89T. I check and fold to the flop bettor.

1) Is limping w/ JJ in this position ever correct?
2) Would you bet the flop? Checkraise? Fold to a bet?
3) What would you do on the turn?

I folded on the turn because 1) the flop raiser who then leads the betting on the turn could very well have a made straight or trips or better; and 2) the quiet caller may have the same hand. My open-ended straight is counterfeited quite heavily as I only use one of my hole cards to make the straight. The caller had AQ , so if I hit a J to make trips, he catches his straight. The raiser had AA.

I convinced myself this was a good laydown given the board and the action, but I’m not sure about it. Any comments?

[ECondreras]

I have been playing a lot of .50/1 at Party. I have to declare that I am new to this, and I just want to say what I would have done (which is most likely wrong!).

First, with only 2 limpers ahead of me, I would have raised. Bigger pocket pairs play much better with less competition. I think most people would say to always raise, but if I have 7 people in before me, I limp.

Next, when I got raised on the flop, I would have put the guy on top pair (10's) or maybe a made straight/draw. Either way, I would have reraised to see what the deal was. When second ten falls, I would bet and fold to a raise.

I have a hard time laying down a pocket pair with no overcards, but with the second ten, it would be easy. What makes this hand difficult is that that AA did not raise before the flop, so it would have been hard to put him on any big pocket pair.

[rkiray]

Looks like wimpy poker to me. First mistake, JJ does worst against 3 or 4 opponents, so you should have Red trying to get the BB out. With Js you either want 5 or more people to pay you off if you flop a set, or 1 or 2 to try to win by having the best pair.

Next with an oesd, and top pair this is a stroge hand. Normally I would check raise, but if I was worried that no one would bet, I would bet out.

It sounds like you are playing scared to me. In these low limit games people will play all kinds of hands most of them much less dangerous than what you were imagining

[rkiray]

I just realized I misread the post the first time. On the flop I would have RRed and the rest of the hand would depend on what happened. I don't think I'm folding top pair though. The flop R could have been someone aggresively betting a draw.

[Bob T.]

1 - I think limping here is borderline, but at this limit many of your opponents are going to have to hit their hand twice to beat you. Your hand is likely the best one right now, and you can really punish the guys who limped with 75 suited, and worse. I would raise, but I don't think that limping is bad.

2 - I would probably bet and reraise the flop.

3 - I would bet, and call a raise. You still have 8 outs to a straight.

After you get raised on the turn, I think that you could fold to a river bet, but if you called a single bet on the river, that wouldn't be a huge mistake either.

I think that you played a little passively here, but then your name is 'pirc defense'.

[JTG51]

I think you played all 3 streets poorly.

I'd raise preflop. You are up against 2 limpers, you likely have by far the best hand.

I'd 3-bet the flop. An overpair with an open ended straight draw is a big hand.

If I had 3-bet the flop, I would have bet the turn and called a raise. Having checked, I'd definitely call the bet.

Finally, you said a J was no good or you because one opponent had AQ and would have made a straight. A J makes a full house for you on that board, so you will have 10 outs most of the time.

[Pirc Defense]

Thanks for replying, everyone.

After reading your comments I agree that I misplayed this hand.