Jacks - how to play this hand?

I find these kinda hands awkward to play aswell as I don't really like limping with them but don't want to make 3-4 X raise and get called my 2 or more and then see Ax Kx Qx hit on the flop so depending on players in pot and position I might fold them now and again

This hand brings me problems constantly, I just try to not make a big bet pre-flop, when I see flop I decide what to do

Couldnt agree with you more! This reeks havoc when i have these hole cards!!!

I play very carefully JJ cause I might get into trouble with this hand either on tournament or on cash game . Previous action and opponents taken into consideration , always ready to fold them . I have lost many times to them , maybe I don't know how to extract max value of them . For sets my favourite together with 1010 .

Not sure if you have ever seen the you tube about how to play Jacks. Absolutely hilarious! I share your pain with JJ, but sometimes I forget about my even worse luck with 10's, or 9's. I have learned to fold them more these days when i don't hit the flop.

That is a good hand but the trickiest pocket pair. I would play them from any position but they can't stand much heat.
If you can see the flop in positions, it would be the best

nutthink said:

in my opinion JJ against 2-4 player play open hand only.. if its headsup I shove..

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What I do is raise/3-bet based on position so I don't have too many players in the hand.

PKPurple said:

JJ is a very complicated card to play, since it is more than anything a 50-50, if the flop do not appear superior cards you have to bet hard to protect your hand

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If you raise pre-flop and C-bet flop, you will know more or less where you stand in the hand based on the texture of the board.
And no need to bet hard to protect your hand, your C-bet of no less than half pot will be all you need to commit, to know if your JJ is good.

AntonEast said:

The reason why JJ is an awful hand is because it's hard to fold them, to be winning in the long run with JJ you need to fold a lot of times.

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raising, C-betting, position and reads on the opponents will help you make the easy decision.
If you find JJ hard to fold, then you are one of those players who put too much value in JJ......STOP IT, NOW!

zzvictor said:

Depending on MTT structure, your position, players ranges (their opening ranges from each position/their calling ranges from each position/3-4-5bet range), how deep or short stack you are, how deep or short stack your opponents are, ICM etc. there are cases where you should fold hands like AA even.

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Folding AA will never be folded pre-flop, UNLESS folding AA could guarantee you that satellite ticket(Which, IMO, is the only time you can fold AA and not feel guilty)

Derifish17 said:

I find these kinda hands awkward to play aswell as I don't really like limping with them but don't want to make 3-4 X raise and get called my 2 or more and then see Ax Kx Qx hit on the flop so depending on players in pot and position I might fold them now and again

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C-bet, when you're the preflop raiser from EP, there is a high chance you may have to fold to aggression, but at least you'll know where you are in the hand and if you just get called, ease off and check/fold, but before deciding to fold to a turn bet, take notice of bet sizing, you'd be surprised at how many players do not know how to bet the turn, most players who are holding a pair like 10-10 or lower may throw in a bet around 1/3 the stack, which is a weak tell from my experience, some players will bet the turn for 1/2 the pot when they hit the flop and more than half the pot when they hit hard.

qenfo said:

This hand brings me problems constantly, I just try to not make a big bet pre-flop, when I see flop I decide what to do

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Follow up with the C-bet or you will never know where you are on the flop.

BAGELBEAR said:

I like JJ, I probably win the hand 75% of the time. Ultimately your hand has to hold up. But realistically, there are only 3 ways to play pocket JJ, and THEY ARE ALL WRONG

Debby

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Are you using any poker software such as PT/HEM.
I'm curious as where you get 75%, how aggressive are you?
I consider myself aggressive with JJ but only still manage a 58% win out of the 141 times I have received JJ with-in the 36000+ hands I've been dealt.
Thinking about it while I'm writing this, you are an STT player and my stats are MTTs only so it's quite possible.
No need to answer my question as I think I have answered it myself

bigjay2007 said:

Not sure if you have ever seen the you tube about how to play Jacks. Absolutely hilarious! I share your pain with JJ, but sometimes I forget about my even worse luck with 10's, or 9's. I have learned to fold them more these days when i don't hit the flop.

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I think there is too much value lost when you don't raise preflop and c-bet flop.
This is clearly a case of undervaluing JJ.

For all those who are having trouble with JJ, you're putting more emphasis on your cards than the players around you, learn to balance the two.

shinedown.45 said:

Folding AA will never be folded pre-flop, UNLESS folding AA could guarantee you that satellite ticket(Which, IMO, is the only time you can fold AA and not feel guilty)

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Next pay out 10 million usd and the next player who is knocked out gets 0 usd, you are in the big blind facing 8 players who pushed all in and they all have you slightly covered "never folded lol" easy choice.

zzvictor said:

Next pay out 10 million usd and the next player who is knocked out gets 0 usd, you are in the big blind facing 8 players who pushed all in and they all have you slightly covered "never folded lol" easy choice.

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Where is this game with a min cash of 10million and how much does it cost to enter?
Real world, most tournament players are more than happy to get AA in against 8 players when short stacked, after all, they didn't enter the game just to min-cash.

shinedown.45 said:

Where is this game with a min cash of 10million and how much does it cost to enter?
Real world, most tournament players are more than happy to get AA in against 8 players when short stacked, after all, they didn't enter the game just to min-cash.

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Just a made up example but here an example you may understand. You got lucky and got into the $10000 wsop via satalite with just $35, the tournament is 1 player away from the money and you are low on chips but safely in the money if you keep folding. The chip leader has entered the pot. The 1st pay out after 1 player is eliminated is $11000, do you make a great return $35 turning into $11000 or risk it all and go for gold with your AA.

I think they have a bad rep for always losing. I'm happy to see JJ It's a much better than av starting hand. Even AA gets cracked a lot and to me that's much worse than JJ not holding up.

its not easy playing jacks preflop however they are can be very profitable on the long run if you play them well. i personally think you need to play them very aggresively preflop like at least 4bb raise or even more depending on how villains act before you, also i would make a big 3 bet or even shove all in if i dont have a big stack, however after villain makes a 4 bet i might even consider folding because even if jacks are a very strong hand there are 3 better pairs that dominate your hand. so with jacks try i would try to isolate, always make a 3 bet or shove preflop and call or fold a 4 bet or even shove a 4 bet if villain is a loose player or i have a low or middle stack.

Very often unlucky with a pair of 10.10, and when she fell, I quickly threw off her !!! But once I was blind bankroll at 5 and I went to ALL, and won 3 times. Now I'm 10 10 and sometimes I win!
No need to fear, the main thing not to miss your flop.

If I have less in the tournament the average stack, I just throw in allin. If there is a pre-flop play. Over the last table would be wiser to play cautiously.

zzvictor said:

Just a made up example but here an example you may understand. You got lucky and got into the $10000 wsop via satalite with just $35, the tournament is 1 player away from the money and you are low on chips but safely in the money if you keep folding. The chip leader has entered the pot. The 1st pay out after 1 player is eliminated is $11000, do you make a great return $35 turning into $11000 or risk it all and go for gold with your AA.

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TBH, we think nothing alike, I'm still taking risks to improve my chipstack because if min cash is 11k then 1st is gold, in poker I'm a risk taker and if I have the best starting hand in holdem, I'm taking that risk 100% of the time.
You make a good point for the scared players who are happy with the min-cash, but I have never folded and never will fold just to make it past the bubble unless I'm playing a satty where folding would guarantee me a ticket.

When I enter any tournament, I aim for the final table, not just min-cash.

Today I lost my last money with J J all in but I often,more than 50% m beaten with that hand all in .Every day think only to raise with J J,but cant remain passive.

However, as with all pocket pairs, the chance of improving your hand on the flop is slim. The odds of making a set is only 7.5 to 1.

with JJ you can take a chance all-in when 2-3 people. and when more people then more polovyni chips I put on the flop and on the flop even if J then you can all-in

good afternoon

JJ game as if it were a 88 or less ... are 12 outs ... for the rivals ... but with raise pre flop

Each players differently perceive this hand someone can play with it as AK, and other players can consider a hand for small to steam.

Deep stacked you play JJ more like TT, 99, 88, looking for pot control.

Short stacked you play JJ more like QQ and AK, looking for getting in pre.

It's a difficult hand to play. But it is a top 5 hand to play, and is definitely worth playing for a lot of money in the right flop textures, specially heads up.

With JJ should be very carefully to play, but to flop if you do not give at least one does not believe them, just calling station

I like to limp them from early with hopes of getting a later position raise then use their power to repop. If no one raises then I'm playing them likes 8s 9s 10s..carefully. I treat jacks with the respect the 4th best starting hand in poker deserves.

If you are I'd say 15-17 BB open shove, 3bet all in at around 18-26 unless you're facing a big 3bet/4bet pre, generally you want to 3-bet this hand except in specific scenarios (nitty/fishy player opens 4x strangely) The trick is not to call 4-bets that are a) too large b) from a player you know only 4bets AA/KK and/or QQ. If you are out of position and sense your opponent is 3betting too light, you can sometimes go in for a 4bet but the best thing usually is to flat call a 3bet and play cautiously post-flop (i.e. not donk-betting , not calling two barrels or larger bets with two overs on board, or one over and big double/triple barrels, being aware of straights and flushes/two pairs).