JJ UTG vs SB - what are the good lines here? (1st hand post)

#1 12-01-2005, 08:21 PM

As I mentioned, first hand post after an intial delurk...hoping (and needing) to learn a lot here...

SB is 42/6/1.5 after 48 hands
Hero is 17/8/3 after 48 hands

Cryptologic 2.00/4.00 Hold'em (10 handed) link

Preflop: Hero is UTG with J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
Hero raises, 7 folds, SB calls, 1 folds.

Flop: (5.00 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB raises, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

River: (6.50 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 6.50 BB.
Results in white below:
SB has 5h 9h (A Pair of Nines, Ace high)
Hero has Jh Js (A Pair of Jacks, Ace high)
Hero wins 6.19 BB.


I'm clueless, and wondering what lines I should be using in this type of situation.

Should I have reraised the flop? If so, and he caps or calls, then...turn...river action?
If his VPIP were lower, how would that change those things...?
Should I have bet the river as it was played (wondered about a busted flush/straight, but fearing that I'm being encouraged to bet when he's holding K or A)?

Nick C · #2 12-01-2005, 08:34 PM

I think the flop and turn are fine. Villain will have a king here fairly frequently. But draws and underpairs to your jacks are also possible. There's no good way to find out where you stand, either, since if you 3-bet the flop, he may start worrying about his kicker if he has a king (but not enough to fold), or he may checkraise again on the turn if he happens to have a hand like 96s and push you off of a decent number of outs.

I guess the river may be a bet-fold, but I'll admit that I'd be nervous. Villain may just be scared that his K3o got outdrawn on the river, or he may be going for another checkraise now that his A6o improved to aces up. Also, (over 48 hands anyway) he's kind of aggressive for his VP$IP, and I'm not sure I'd want to let him outplay me with his T [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] or pocket 2's, if the river checkraise bluff is in his repertoire. (Not a whole lot of 2/4 players checkraise-bluff the river, but there are a few who love the play.) Anything you might have noticed about his play beyond the numbers might help you out here.

Harv72b · #3 12-01-2005, 08:37 PM

Given that your opponent is basically unknown, but is looking LPA after a small hand sample, I play this the same. It's too likely that you're up against an aggressively played draw or a lower pair than your jacks for me to want to fold. And you don't really know your opponent well enough to even be thinking about a turn raise/river bet to attempt to fold out a weak K.

There's no real value in a river bet, as most opponents are folding most hands you beat and calling with most hands that beat you. Obviously this changes with a better read.

#4 12-02-2005, 08:01 PM

Thanks for the responses. The comment about "There's no good way to find out where you stand, either, since if you 3-bet the flop, he may start worrying about his kicker if he has a king (but not enough to fold)" was particularly helpful for me. I must be playing a little too aggressively sometimes (I was sure someone would argue for the reraise on this hand). When I decide I need to take control of a hand, it sometimes happens that I scare off the opponent, continue betting because I think that means I'm good, but then end up getting called down and losing to the better hand. Again...thanks!

CanKid · #5 12-02-2005, 09:31 PM

I'm generally 3-betting this flop. However I don't mind how you played it.