Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

I married myself to the pocket jacks. Should I have released on the flop when villain c/r'd? the turn? Played it through?

Only 35 hands on villain 20/9/3.5...


Party Poker 2.00/4.00 Hold'em <font color="#0000FF">(9 handed)</font> link

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (10.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (8.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, MP1 folds, Hero calls.

River: (10.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 12.25 BB.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

edited to replace my advocation of every single turn line.

this looks a lot like a weak Q, but against a decent aggressive tag this could also be worse pocket pairs (particularly 88 and 99)

given that, a turn raise will get you raised by better hands, and fold worse pocket pairs, and the pot is large enough that showing down seems alright.

so despite my initial response... if you read it... i think calling down is best.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

Calling down is fine. The key point is that you are only folding worse hands much of the time by raising the turn.

This is a welcome opportunity to discuss free showdown raises. This situation is one where calling down is probably better, but if any of the following changed a turn raise/free-showdown line is better:

1. Villain is weak/somewhat skilled/whather, and might fold a weak Q to you. Then raising the turn is much better because you allow yourself to win a portion of the time you don't have the best hand. (This can be one of the best "bluffing" situations in poker, in that by putting in two bets on the turn that you intended to put in on the turn and river anyway, you may encourage an opponent to make a huge mistake.)

2. If the pot were not heads-up, particularly if there are players left to act behind you. Then raising the turn is probably better for protection purposes. You'd love opponents to fold overcards. Even if an opponent had called between you and the original bettor, raising is usually better to encourage the intermediate caller to pay double to draw or whatever.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

The check raise implies a strong hand. I don't think he has a weak Q. You don't c/r with a weak queen here. The line he takes is what a good strong player with 2 pair (big blind special)would take (Probably bottom 2 pair). I don't fold to the C/R because I don't want to appear THAT tight. I do fold to the turn bet though. He either has Queens up or a boat. If he pulls a lone 7 out of his bag, God Bless him as I will be stacking his chips before the night is over.

LLL

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The check raise implies a strong hand. I don't think he has a weak Q. You don't c/r with a weak queen here. The line he takes is what a good strong player with 2 pair (big blind special)would take (Probably bottom 2 pair). I don't fold to the C/R because I don't want to appear THAT tight. I do fold to the turn bet though. He either has Queens up or a boat. If he pulls a lone 7 out of his bag, God Bless him as I will be stacking his chips before the night is over.

LLL

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree. The C/R screams "PROTECTION" which is what you want if you have a vulnerbale hand like top pair and a big field. A stonger hand would likely lead the flop and hope to be able to 3-bet when hero raises.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

ummm... this is precisely how you should play a weak queen on the flop.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The check raise implies a strong hand. I don't think he has a weak Q. You don't c/r with a weak queen here. The line he takes is what a good strong player with 2 pair (big blind special)would take (Probably bottom 2 pair). I don't fold to the C/R because I don't want to appear THAT tight. I do fold to the turn bet though. He either has Queens up or a boat. If he pulls a lone 7 out of his bag, God Bless him as I will be stacking his chips before the night is over.

LLL

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope.

The check-raise here is often a Q and only a Q. Plenty of players will automatically check-raise top pair from early position (and are very often correct in doing so). At the same time, villain might be taking the same line with 88-TT, and possibly even 66 or something. So we decide to see a showdown. Note that the pot's pretty big here. We don't need to win a showdown that often to be good here.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I married myself to the pocket jacks. Should I have released on the flop when villain c/r'd? the turn? Played it through?

Only 35 hands on villain 20/9/3.5...


Party Poker 2.00/4.00 Hold'em <font color="#0000FF">(9 handed)</font> link

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, BB calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (10.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">BB raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (8.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, MP1 folds, Hero calls.

River: (10.25 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 12.25 BB.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah these spots really suck w/o reads. I call down, usually you will be shown a queen, hopefully it's smaller PP enough to make it +EV.

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

[ QUOTE ]
ummm... this is precisely how you should play a weak queen on the flop.

[/ QUOTE ] I think villian can have any queen. Right?

Re: Pocket jacks against an overcard c/r on flop?
 

Nice hand. Like others have already said, villain could have TT-88, 66, a 7, as well as any hand that beats you. Pot's good size - call down good.