Capping with Jacks

[ElSapo]

Party 2/4. Only been here a few hands, but the table is loose, which makes it typical.

Four limpers to me, I raise with Jacks in the cutoff. BB calls, back around, and now the fourth limper three-bets.

I think he's just cracked out and building a pot. I can't see a legitimate limp-reraise after three limpers.

I cap it, trying to knock out some of the other players.

Yeah?

[J.R.]

the table is loose

I think its unlikely loose players will fold for two more after already having put two bets into a 6 way pot. That's not to say there isn't value in a cap here, but I don't think you are going to limit the field with this play.

[Mike]

Limp reraising AA is becoming almost as popular as the auto raise with a two suited flop. For me JJ is a little short on horsepower to cap with in this hand.

[J.R.]

But the position of the limp re-raiser in this hand makes the liklihood of AA here kinda low, don't you think?

The idea of the limp-re-raise is a multiway pot for multiple bets pre-flop, and given the limp re-raiser's position, a preflop raise would accomplish this goal while an attempted limp re-raise would be unlikely to do so given the few players yet to act.

[ElSapo]

Party Poker 2/4 (10 handed)
Hero has J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and is MP3

EP1 limps, MP1 limps, MP2 limps, Hero raises, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, EP1 calls, MP1 3-bets, MP2 folds, Hero caps...

[MrBlini]

Strange move on the part of MP1. What can possibly merit this action?

In a Party 2/4, I doubt capping will chase out anyone who called 2, but you might thin the BB out of the field. Also, capping may get MP1 to check it to you on the flop fearing AA/KK. I think there is value in the cap because JJ will win more than its share of hands here, but it's marginal. The other players seem to like their hands: that suggests that an Ace or king on the flop is really bad for yours, and if it's capped preflop, the Aces and kings may just stick around longer.

Possibly MP1 is a thinking but inexperienced player who has something difficult to play like KQ (suited or unsuited) or maybe AT, is going to see the flop, and now that you raised him wants to see where he stands before the flop cards hit. Against a player who appears inexperienced, it's a cap.

Another possibility, like you suggested, is that MP1 is a gambler and sees the opportunity to build a big pot for a couple of small bets. His cards are perhaps a suited ace, suited connectors, a middle pair--something that will now take down a satisfyingly monstrous pot if the cards hit him hard.

[Bob T.]

You are seeing the flop, and probably the turn, you may as well make the pot big, in case you win it.

[Lost Wages]

This exact same thing happened to me the other night at Party 2/4 and I capped with Jacks. Limp-reraiser had 55 and called to the river unimproved. Another limp-call-call2'er had AA and won unimproved [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

Lost Wages

[ElSapo]

MrBlini nailed it... he had A5s.

The raise actually knocked out one more player, the button, I believe. The flop was queen high, I bet and was called, checked the turn (a mistake) and bet when checked to again on the river.

Only the limp-raiser called, with his ace high, and my hand was, well... it was better than good. It was the best.

[Bob T.]

Actually, lately, I have noticed a lot of Ace-rag suited limp reraises, as well as limp reraises with medium/small pocket pairs.

I don't get it. It just seems to be something that happens a lot lately.