How should I play this hand??

[jlukowski]

30+3 Multi @ PP
top 100 in the money
Get dealt JJ on the button, above average stack 10,000 plus
Blinds 400-800.. I make it 3200 to go....Big blinf has me covered and makes it 6400....push?? or Fold??

[sbkid]

This is an interesting thread to me since I just came across this nearly exact situation in a live tourney. So here's my two cents (and first reply/post)...

I followed this line of reasoning when deciding what to do:
1. What is the BB thinking?
a) I had a tight table image and played fairly aggressively pre-flop.
b) He had seen me showdown with big pocket pairs (10-QQ), so he knows I'll raise preflop with a big PP.
c) He probably figures I have a decent hand since the raise is roughly 1/3 of my chips, and would almost have to call if re-raised.
d) Moreover, he figures that I probably have a strong hand to be able to risk so many of my chips so early in a tournament (coupled with my table image).
--

So from this reasoning, I can deduce that the BB does not think I am stealing.

And from the large raise, he can put me on this range of hands I figure:
10
JJ
QQ
KK
AA
AKs

So if he has me on this range of hands, and re-raises me all-in, knowing that there is a large probability of me calling, he should have those range of hands beat.

So I would place him on QQ,KK,AA. Even if he had AKs it is still nearly a coin flip if I call.

So I would **sighh** fold.


But really to get yourself out of this situation in the first place you should come in for a smaller raise (say 1800 or 2400) so that it is easier to muck if re-raised all-in. You'll still get the fold equity with this raise and not be so committed pre-flop to such a dangerous hand.

In my view, JJ's are not good all-ins **when you have that many chips** (obviously they look a little better if you are short-stacked). You'll lose nearly half the time and that doesn't seem worth it to me.

[fnord_too]

I also think that 3200 is too high to raise, was this your standard raise? Mini raises scare me, and if I were covered here I would lay it down. I would be more apt to call an all in. Of course it depends on who the raiser is, if it is a very aggressive player who will play back with dubious holdings, I would call. Also, how many people were left at this point? It does not appear that you are in the money yet if there are 900-1000 people in the tourney and 10k is above average. At any rate, raise less initially (2000-2400, depending on what is sufficient to typically win the blinds) and lay it down when a bigger stack shows great strength.