Pocket Jacks - Bad Luck Or Misplayed Somewhere

[BioPaul 0]

Hello everyone,I recently just played a hand at my local B&M casino and it was an interesting position to say the least. It involves two Jacks and my actions pre-flop and post-flop. I would like perspectives on how you personally would play the hand? Did I miss play this hand at any point or can I chalk this one up to bad luck.Here is the situation:I am in Late Middle Position in an $1/$2 No Limit Hold' Em Ring Game. There are eight players and I have a fairly nice read on the players at the table.I have $91 in front of me and the action is folded to me and I am dealt J J. I raise to $12 (which is about the standard between $10-$15 is considered a serious raise). The cutoff seat, who is a tight-aggressive-passive player, calls my $12 bet. The dealer button folds and the Small Blind, a loose-aggressive-aggressive player, re-raises it to $25.The big blind, a tight-passive-aggressive player then ask: "Why so much?" and the small blind immediately responds: "I don't want anyone else in the hand." The big blind calls the $25 with a small hesistation and the action is back on me.Now here is my first question:What should have been my play?1) Flat Call - See What a Flop Gives Me, and see if I hit a set and get paid off like a slot machine by these two aggressive flop players or see a favorable flop that could win me the pot outright.2) Re-Raise All-In - The see all, ends all means. I put them all in and leave myself zero position to be outplayed on the flop at all.3) Fold - I'm dominated by a larger pair.My actual play was I smooth called, hoping to spike a set or even a favorable low card flop. The cut-off calls as well.Now while being a little nervous because my Jacks are agaisnt three other hands, the flop comes:765 (rainbow)My instinctual thought was: "I have the best hand right now." Then the small blind bets out $25. The big blind follows it up with a raise to $50.Here is the next part of the qusetion. What is my play?1) Re-Raise All-In, to call the $50 is just absurd because it would leave me $11. I was either going to push it all in and hopefully either get called by a weaker hand or spike a jack to win. I wasn't afraid of the straight, because the pre-flop action would have killed off any straglers with the straight cards. I believed that nobody had a set because the two blinds were the type of players that would slowplay a set or bet small to keep people in the hand and hopefully shut out the guy behind me.2) Fold - Too much potential trouble, might as well lay it down.The actual play I did was move-in for the $66. Now this is where it gets really scary. The guy behind me calls and he's all in for $69. Now I'm thinking I'm dead. The small blind finally releases his hand and the big blind (who has us both covered) calls.The turn: 2sRiver: 10cI tell the table, that I have Jacks. The cut-off flashes a seven and muchs his hand. Then the big blind says: "SUCK OUT!" and lays down 10 10.I leave the table disgust that my he caught a two outer, but I don't blame him for the call.My question is: Did I misplay the hand any point? I followed my read which was that nobody had a set and wasn't afraid to be wrong.Any replies are greatly appreciated and thanks for you advice.Paul

[shinychicken 0]

One thing that bothers me is that you know the guy is loose aggressive and he displayed weakness with his reraise preflop. I would have gone in right there. After the flop, you have to make a choice, fold or raise. You can be messing around in that spot.

[Naismith 0]

I hate the way everyone played this hand on every street. I think if you're going to play this hand with only 66 behind it, just push all in preflop and get sucked out on on the river.

[krup24 0]

Your too short to not reraise all in pf.

[shpaget 0]

Your too short to not reraise all in pf.

QFT with a capital QFT.

[DonkSlayer 1]

Your too short to not reraise all in pf.

Normally I'm not a fan of this line of thinking (if you're beat, you're beat for $91 as much as you're beat for $20 as much as you're beat for $1,000), but in this scenario where the typical minimum serious raise is 1/9th of your bankroll, I have to agree. You're thinking too much otherwise though.Say you had $200 in front of you when you read the rest of this ramble. JJ/QQ etc. is not "unlucky", etc. Most NL players hear the phrase all the time...ever wonder why you don't here it about 99 or 1010? I think it's a psychological thing.."oh I have a big hand because my cards are faces instead of numbers, so I have to play it like I have KK but I always lose with it."If you have JJ/QQ, you have a very strong starting hand. You made the right raise for the table, and you were called and then raised after, albeit a min-raise.What cards beat you here?The caller was a TAG. If you have JJ, the hands that dominate you preflop are QQ, JJ, KK, AA. Don't TAG's tend to re-raise with those sort of hands? Especially if they have a LAG yet to act behind them? Everything else you're ahead of or racing with.The raiser was a LAG. He's raising with a wide range. So, simple question, if you believe in your reads, and you likely have the best preflop and you have two others currently in the hand, what's the best course of action to take? I have more to say later.

[Scott3705 0]

Your too short to not reraise all in pf.

Bam

[BIG_L_RIP 0]

as played, I probably fold flop.

[Peak01 0]

Not a fan of the 6xbb raise preflop since it looks like no matter what you raise you will get callers from the loose player that has position on you. If you just called or raised smaller you could get off this hand but now I think you just shove it in and start yelling "C'mon Jack" because you are most likely behind.

[Dannon 0]

I strongly disagree with the all-in players. First of all, I disliked the initail 6x blind raise too but thats because getting action from 1 player isn't a bad thing and you don't need everybody to fold. However, if that was the standard at the table (and you said it was), then so far no problems. After the call, reraise, and call, I strongly believe all-in is a beginer move. How can you be getting reraised by something under JJ that isn't say AK, a coin flip. Now other players may like coin flips, but I sure don't. On top of that, the another player called your raise and another player called the reraise. There is a very good chance that you're dominated. This idea of "call and hope for a jack" is losing poker. I'd wish I could get away from the hand but the raise was too small (which makes me wonder what the small blind had for him to say he wants everybody out of the pot). I would just call and see a flop, maybe you can hit a J and win a huge pot, otherwise you could be in bad shape. After the flop, there is an interesting situation. If big blind had either AA or KK he would have rereraised preflop (probably); the cutoff player would have almost certainly rereraised the $25 to an all-in with AA or KK. It seems the only player who can have AA or KK is the SB. QQ however is still out there for anybody, the cutoff player may have reraised your'e original raise with QQ, but maybe not. Also the BB may very well have jsut called with QQ using the same logic you had with the JJ. In addition, (although unlikely, still possible), the 2 loose-agreesive players may very well of made the play with a small/medium pair and flopped a set. It's a close decision and most of it depends on you're read on the players. I think I would fold but I could never fault an all-in (which turned out to be the correct move). I think you played the hand well.

[Scott3705 0]

I strongly disagree with the all-in players. First of all, I disliked the initail 6x blind raise too but thats because getting action from 1 player isn't a bad thing and you don't need everybody to fold. However, if that was the standard at the table (and you said it was), then so far no problems. After the call, reraise, and call, I strongly believe all-in is a beginer move. How can you be getting reraised by something under JJ that isn't say AK, a coin flip. Now other players may like coin flips, but I sure don't. On top of that, the another player called your raise and another player called the reraise. There is a very good chance that you're dominated. This idea of "call and hope for a jack" is losing poker. I'd wish I could get away from the hand but the raise was too small (which makes me wonder what the small blind had for him to say he wants everybody out of the pot). I would just call and see a flop, maybe you can hit a J and win a huge pot, otherwise you could be in bad shape. After the flop, there is an interesting situation. If big blind had either AA or KK he would have rereraised preflop (probably); the cutoff player would have almost certainly rereraised the $25 to an all-in with AA or KK. It seems the only player who can have AA or KK is the SB. QQ however is still out there for anybody, the cutoff player may have reraised your'e original raise with QQ, but maybe not. Also the BB may very well have jsut called with QQ using the same logic you had with the JJ. In addition, (although unlikely, still possible), the 2 loose-agreesive players may very well of made the play with a small/medium pair and flopped a set. It's a close decision and most of it depends on you're read on the players. I think I would fold but I could never fault an all-in (which turned out to be the correct move). I think you played the hand well.

[The Nuts 0]

JJ is a hand I hate seeing the flop with. It's one of those hands where you either want to flop a set or see a bunch of low, unconnected cards and then hope to win the pot right there.Despite JJ being a strong hand, I'd prefer not to see a flop at this point. I'm all in. If I see a flop and it comes down an overcard or two, you may be forced to fold to a large bet and that's a good chunk of your stack down the crapper. Even if you do call down, all of your cash will be in the center by showdown anyways. By then, you may have been outdrawn. Why take the risk? Put your opponent to the test right away.I push. If I get called by a higher hand or take a bad beat, then that's poker.