Joined: May '13
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 2219
This is the starting hand that always gives me trouble and is certain to make me lose 9/10 times. Big raises/3-betting people pre with this hand does not help as fish always catch a higher card against me. So is it better to just play this hand with a minimal raise/call and see how nice of a flop you get and play on accordingly from there?
Posted by Phisix: This is the starting hand that always gives me trouble and is certain to make me lose 9/10 times. Big raises/3-betting people pre with this hand does not help as fish always catch a higher card against me. So is it better to just play this hand with a minimal raise/call and see how nice of a flop you get and play on accordingly from there?
If you search YouTube with your exact subject you will find a good video by Marty Smith that will give you lots of good tips.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
JJ IS a trouble hand. If you don't make a set your always in a limbo, as usually at least one overcard will show on the board. But the hand is to strong to play for set value either.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 4827
Fish will always give you trouble, no matter the hand you play with. But if you play mainly against fish (low stakes), the best you have to do is to try to scare your opponent. Go slow on the begining and show strength in the middle, if it appears a higer card than J at the flop or turn, your bet should be enough to make the donk think (not easy) for a while to see if he folds. It's the best chance. I know you can lose some chips if he calls, but seems the best way. Fish sometimes get affraid in the middle of a hand
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
I personally play JJ as any lower pair but of course you can win more hands with it compared to pocket fives or deuces...
As for the big pre raise with JJ i have to disagree, i mean you always find donks to call your raise and since the hand it's not that strong if you do not hit trips you can lose money on long term.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
I know what you mean. No matter how i decide to play that hand nine out of ten times ends in disaster.Its one of the worst pocket pairs for me I do much better with lower ones than with JJ.
Joined: May '13
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 2219
Whats the point in shoving? I was medium position and the other guys had two times the chips I had and they will call with anything like KQ ,KA,, Aj and then one of those will knock me out.
Joined: May '13
Location: Mauritius
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 2688
Posted by Phisix: This is the starting hand that always gives me trouble and is certain to make me lose 9/10 times. Big raises/3-betting people pre with this hand does not help as fish always catch a higher card against me. So is it better to just play this hand with a minimal raise/call and see how nice of a flop you get and play on accordingly from there?
Nah you are playing it wrong just stick with a standard raise for all your cards so opponents cannon spot tendencies. Like 4x raise +1bb for each limper, and to re raise is 3x the raise + any calls.
If you playing micros not many people will spot your leaks but it is better to disciplined yourself right now, rather than when you move up the limits.
Just play the hands as a pocket pairs, if you hit a set you continue or you can play it safe when there are overcards on the flop, you call one bet and fold the turn/river unimproved.
Most of the time, people will bet the flop and check turn, there you can steal the pot on the turn.
Anyway good luck, hope you are getting lucky with the JJ!
Joined: Aug '10
Location: Germany
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 2219
Preflop it is easy to Play with JJ. But at the flop with higher Cards you have some problems without enough experience The best way is to play abc poker at the lower limits. Did you have enough outs, you can play staright ahead.
Joined: Apr '13
Location: Sweden
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 6
I think that you always will 3-bet or in sometimes shove all-in, depending on the size of your stack!! Sometimes you have luck, sometimes not. Thats poker !! Good luck!!
Joined: Feb '12
Location: Canada
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 6036
THAT hand for me is ALWAYS a friggin' nightmare... I HATE getting JJ...
What I usually do now is just call whatever folks are betting,...unless it's a shove by more than one other player....
After the flop comes down I just assess things and take it from there....but I usually always get into some sort of trouble with those 2 godforsaken cards...
Joined: Dec '12
Location: Bulgaria
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 1022
If you are holding JJ at PokerStars, most of the occassions that means that the other player has or QQ or AJ. Have a look at my hands on these videos here:
Joined: Jun '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 1332
fold the jinx if you cant see a free flop,i prefer 10,10,easy to fold if the flops unkind,fish hooks are more trouble than a low pair,its not fish that beat them its every hand that stays in the mix,ALL IN OR FOLD.....
Joined: Feb '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 5712
There are many ways to play JJ.... basically though...generally go in hard but be prepared to withdraw at any time you get signs of strength thats beating you....but beware the bluffer either way so that you dont get caught out!
Joined: Mar '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 1277
Posted by damosk: There are many ways to play JJ.... basically though...generally go in hard but be prepared to withdraw at any time
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------------ On the real though, like any hand JJ are position dependent in that their strength decreases the further away from the blinds you are.
JJ in EP = you don't want any strong Ace hand, QQ+ and simply put if you're short stacked and someone has even KQ, KJ, QJ they will be looking you up in a tournament especially if on their blinds. There are too many hands that crush JJ in a multiway or even HU, so if you are in a tourney you usually want to isolate, or see a low flop then get some action.
Joined: May '13
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 2219
I don't know, on 6max I have come across AK/AQ/AJ with my JJ lots of times and have been crushed on the flop and especially in all ins most of the time. The times I hit a set on the flop the fish somehow know and dont try and fish.
------------ Just had JJ once again and tried just calling this time and flop gives a flush. As usual hooks suck me in and I could have lost but I hit a fullhouse on the turn for once so playing with smaller bets with this hand suits me better.
Good luck!! 
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