Thoughts about playing JJ

[PrayingMantis]

I'm thinking lately, about the idea that JJ is worth more, the tighter the game is. Please tell me if this has been discussed before, or that it's a known fact.

By "worth more" I mean something along the lines of "wins more small pots and lose less big pots", and in general, easier to play, i.e, will more rarely put you in real danger.

Few examples. In a loose game, when I'm first to act and raise with JJ, there's much more chance I'll get called by Ax, Kx, even Qx, and I'll have to play JJ for a set value post flop, if A,K or Q hit, and sometimes I'll have to be careful even if it's T high, because in loose games, people will call with many PP, and some other combination. Therefore, my JJ is basically not much better than any medium pair. Another point is, that loose players will sometimes not fold to a flop-bet, (on a flop like 7-8-Q, 2 suits, when they're on some draw, or a 2nd pair, and put me on missed Ax), and then I cannot put them on anything, and even if I'm ahead, I just cannot be aggressive. I've found myself in deep trouble lately, with JJ, against loose players, and on not-very-dangarous flops for me.

On the other hand, the tighter the game is, the easier it will be to win the pot PF uncontested with JJ (or with any hand, for that matter), and that will not get you to trouble with JJ. If you do get called, you know pretty well where you are. If the flop is A high, you can usualy lay it down, K high are marginal, and on Q high and below you can play it usualy pretty aggressive and win. Rags are very good for you in this case. This is of course game-dependant, but I'm talking generally here.

Naturally, as the game gets short-handed, JJ will be worth more, but still, much more against tight players, less against loose.

To conclude: I'm thinking more and more about playing JJ just as any PP in loose games, until very late in the game. In tighter game, aggressive play with JJ seem to be pretty profitable, in any stage.

Another point: JJ will be worth more (in SNGs), the higher the buy-in is.

Any thoughts?

PrayingMantis

[t_perkin]

just make sure that you can still get away from it in tighter games.

Any A is gonna kill you on the flop and reraises PF have got to be respected as probably having you beat or at a coinflip.

Tim

[neotope]

I seem to have trouble playing JJ. It seems like it would be such a good hand but considering a lot of people call with A-x suited or K-x suited it becomes not such a good hand when a A or K hits the board. Usually if the flop is low trash I will come out aggressive but if it is anything over a J I will more often than not fold or just check. I've had JJ beat by A-3 unsuited too many times to hold it against an unfavorable board.