Difficult JJ hand to play

Marc Desjardins · #1 07-04-2005, 04:13 AM

BB is a little loose but otherwise solid. CO is a maniac, he's been playing almost every pots for the last 20 minutes and he raises a lot. Button is is very tight.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

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Preflop: Hero is MP1 with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
2 folds, Hero raises, 2 folds, CO calls, Button 3-bets, 1 fold, BB calls, Hero calls (anybody cap here?), CO caps, Button calls, BB calls, Hero calls (I'm not folding for one more bet at this point, but I already hate that hand...).

Flop: (16.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (5 players)

Good flop for me, but I'm afraid of an overpair, so I just check. When the BB check-raises, I really really hate that hands, but if I can hit a T or another J, I'll be much happier and the pot is getting pretty big... I hate the pot-odds to call, but do you 3-bet at this point? I'm afraid CO will 3-bet and BB will cap, so this screws with my pot odds a bit, but I got lucky and CO respected the check-raise.
BB checks, Hero checks, CO bets, Button folds, BB raises, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (11.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players)
Again, afraid of the over pair, but with a pot this big, I can't fold, I have outs. But should I raise to try and get CO out or at least better define my hand? I'm there to the end at this point so do I really need to define my hand?

BB bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (14.25 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (4 players)

Very ugly card, but thankfully, everybody checked...
BB checks, Hero checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: 14.25 BB

So, do you play this hand differently?

Dave G. · #2 07-04-2005, 04:24 AM

I don't cap PF. I'm not crazy about pushing JJ so hard, but that's a matter of some debate.

Flop
I'd lead the flop. I don't know what CO is up to, but he's really donking it up something shocking. There's no way this is a planned PF limp re-raise with AA, how can he know that one of the 3 people left to act behind him has enough of a hand to 3-bet? I think he's just stuffing around and I also think you have the best hand.

Buttons 3-bet could be AK, AQ, even a smaller pair. (Button folded for one bet on this flop; take a note of him. Anyone who 3-bets PF and folds on the flop for one bet, regardless of what he has, is bleeding money all over the place).

Turn
BB is a bit of a worry, he could have a lot of hands here. I'm tempted to fire another raise on the turn, because straight draws and flush draws aren't going anywhere and you can get more value out of them. Unbeknown to the straight draws, you hold two of the cards that would complete their hand. So this might be a good spot for a value raise, especially with the LAG tagging along, but calling is fine too.

River
You'd need balls of steel to bet this river. I like check/calling more, as I don't see many worse hands calling you, but the LAG might bluff a lot with worse hands here. It would really suck to get raised too.

brick · #3 07-04-2005, 05:12 AM

If you have a great read on Button and you are sure he has a big pair (For example, if you were playing live and he is an old fart who only raises with big pairs), then you should just call and try and hit your set.

But if he 3-bets with hands like AK and AQs then you should cap pre-flop because, although you're not gaining value from him, you will gain value from the other hands.

And usually capping makes the hand easier to play post flop.

Anyway, lead the flop if you can fold to a raise from the Button. Just make sure you have a plan when you bet.

You basically checked for information, but this is a bad situation for that. You're up against a tough board and a pre-flop 3-bettor.

When if comes back to you for 2 bets you, well I would grit my teeth and 3-bet with this plan:
If the Button calls I would call the turn looking for a T and fold the river unimproved.
If Button folds and BB caps I would call down. (If BB is agressive and could have either a straight draw or flush draw. If he is not this agressive then you may want to fold the river unimproved.)

Paxosmotic · #4 07-04-2005, 07:36 AM

Cap it preflop, and bet out the flop. The CO is out of his mind and is going to raise anything he sees, so by doing that you've got a good chance of facing BB with two cold and having him fold on the spot, getting you heads up with CO. At that point, put the pedal clear to the medal and start throwing chips with both hands. I probably check through this river as well, but that's the weak in me.