How to play JJ

As is getting to be my typical Scottsdale afternoon, I did my morning house chores then headed out to the Talking Stick for a few hands of $2-$3 Spread Limit $3 to $300 Hold'em.  Some of that experience is detailed in an earlier post.

I had won a couple of big pots and was feeling quite good about things and a new player sat down to my left.  The lady won the first hand she played.  "Welcome to the table!"

A little friendly table talk led to a discussion of the hands that are just horrible for us.  She declared that pocket jacks were just the worst and I countered with pocket kings being the hand I have lost the most money with in cash games over the years.  It is because they are so strong!  I told her that I lose a lot less with pocket jacks because I feel I can get away from them when they are losing.

A few hands later, here I am on the button again with another pocket pair again and it limps around to me again and I raise again (to $20) and the same guy that went in all in when I had 99 goes all in again, this time with over $100 and a fairly tight player in front of me calls him.  Now what?  I looked at the lady to my left, told her that I was doing this just for her and I showed her my pocket jacks as I tossed them face down toward the dealer.

Wouldn't you know it, the tight player was just sitting there with pocket kings waiting to see a raise he could re-raise.  He won the pot.  The guy that kept raising all in before the flop lost his third buy-in.

I think it's kind of funny that I had to fold those jacks when a tight player called the all in.  I would have been just too embarassed after having told that lady that I didn't mind pocket jacks because I usually didn't lose a big pot with them. I just couldn't get into a three way all in huge pot and lose with pocket jacks.

In the spirit of pocket jacks being a tough hand to play I thought I would share this video by Marty Smith demonstrating how to play pocket Jacks.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

The Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick has what I think is an odd rule for a No Limit Game: Maximum 3 raises.  OK, it's not really a No Limit game, it's 2-3 spread limit with a max buy-in of $300 and a max bet of $300, but those rules make it play like No Limit - except the 3 raise thing.

Actually, I don't really like it.  I prefer four raises, or no max on raises. T. J. Cloutier says in his book about playing NLH that when you see the fourth raise, it's not A-K or Jacks, it 99% pure Aces.  Maybe yes, maybe no but here is how things worked out for me in today's $2-$3 game at the Arena:

I was comfortably ahead, after taking down the self proclaimed internet whiz, and was on the button with 9-9.

After seeing a bunch of limpers, I thought I might try to muscle my way to a small pot by raising to $25.  I got a call from a very pleasant playing companion in the Small Blind right next to me followed by an all in raise for about $72 from the first limper who had shoved pre-flop a few times earlier, once taking a small pot uncontested, once getting busted with A-Q.  So when he shoved, I re-raised it to $125 to try to isolate him.  As the Small Blind started putting all of his $250 or so into the pot, the dealer said, "That's a cap." And took only enough for the call.  I had raised on the button.  The limper re-raised and when I made that third raise, we reached the three raise limit, so calling was the only option left for him.

My immediate thought was that I might be in trouble if he was thinking of putting in the fourth raise, but he only called my first raise, so something was not kosher.  The thought even crossed my mind that I wanted to ask him if he would like to just check it down, but with a third player in the hand, that smacks of collusion, and I didn't say anything.

The flop was a rainbow of small cards and the Small Blind checked, so I happily checked behind him.  Then a miracle happened.  A nine hit the board on the Turn.

"I check."

"Sorry sir, but I have to bet now." Slid out $150 to cover his remaining stack.

"You must have made your set."

"Exactly!" With a smile, happy to take the side pot uncontested.

The Small Blind then mucked his two queens face up.  The dealer turned them over, indicated that I had won the side pot and then, to rub salt in the wound, puts a queen out on the River.

"You know you should have never been able to see a flop because I wanted to raise you off and you damn sure shouldn't have been able to see the Turn but I was being nice and checking it down now I'm losing because I'm bein' a nice guy and I don't play like that. I play to win and maybe it's time for me to go when I start losing money because I'm being a nice ..."

I couldn't hear the rest of his speech because by that time he had already collected his things and was walking out mumbling to himself.

The all in player mucked his hand without showing it.

The three raise rule saved me.  Had our friend in the Small Blind been able to put in that fourth raise, I would have lost the pot.  If I folded pre-flop, I lose and if I call, we both get to see the River card which would have given him the set over set winner.

The rule prevented him from playing it the way he should have and cost him the pot.  Of course, nothing stopped him from betting the flop - when he was ahead - except maybe the feeling that he might be up against AA or KK. Or maybe he was just being a nice guy...

In any case, things might have turned out very differently had there not been a maximum three raises at the Arena.