Pair of Jacks UTG
OK here is a hand I cam up against and wonder what you guys would do?
It was $10+1 SNG at party.
Table was very, very tight. (With a few players that would seem to call Ace Rag and either get lucky catching an Ace but not bet much or fold off the flop) Chip leader at the time had about 1000 chips and the shortest stack was about 400. Maybe 3 to 5 players to a flop (counting the blinds that usually just checked) and hardly any show downs. Blinds are 15/30.
I had about 700 in chips (no good cards the whole time so far and all my money lost has been to the blinds),I get dealt JJ and I’m UTG.
What you would do here? Do you just call or raise and if so how much?
Here is what I did:
I bet out to 120 figuring I may trap a few player playing Ace suited or the Ace Rag guys but force out others.
The player before the button calls, the button also call and the small blind calls. I was pretty surprised that they all called. (3*120 = 360 in the pot)
The Big Blinds raises all-in (he has about 450 chips) what do you do?
No player that is in the pot has more chips then I and the others all have between 300 and 400. Does that make a difference knowing that if you call and get beat you would still have over 200 chips while the blinds are still low?
Would you call if you figured that one of the other player would go all-in as well. (I had a feeling that the SB was going to call the all-in)
It was $10+1 SNG at party.
Table was very, very tight. (With a few players that would seem to call Ace Rag and either get lucky catching an Ace but not bet much or fold off the flop) Chip leader at the time had about 1000 chips and the shortest stack was about 400. Maybe 3 to 5 players to a flop (counting the blinds that usually just checked) and hardly any show downs. Blinds are 15/30.
I had about 700 in chips (no good cards the whole time so far and all my money lost has been to the blinds),I get dealt JJ and I’m UTG.
What you would do here? Do you just call or raise and if so how much?
Here is what I did:
I bet out to 120 figuring I may trap a few player playing Ace suited or the Ace Rag guys but force out others.
The player before the button calls, the button also call and the small blind calls. I was pretty surprised that they all called. (3*120 = 360 in the pot)
The Big Blinds raises all-in (he has about 450 chips) what do you do?
No player that is in the pot has more chips then I and the others all have between 300 and 400. Does that make a difference knowing that if you call and get beat you would still have over 200 chips while the blinds are still low?
Would you call if you figured that one of the other player would go all-in as well. (I had a feeling that the SB was going to call the all-in)
Comments
Facing the all-in raise to $450, I would never call in this spot. Raise all-in or fold.
Other than making some form of a stop-and-go play, calling for more than half your stack is rarely going to be correct. Since someone has already gone all-in pre-flop, a stop-and-go is no longer a viable play. I wouldn't plan on either (a) betting the flop blind into a dry side pot, or (b) folding the Jacks for an addtional $250 into a >$1,300 pot. You might as well put the rest in now to either enourage your opponents to get out of your way, or charge them the full price if they will come along anyway.
Whether to go all-in or fold is a pretty close decision. Knowing nothing special about the opponents, and since the tournament buy-in is low, I'd be inclined to move all-in.
ScottyZ
You've already defined the table as very tight with few showdowns. Â You've also defined yourself as super-tight since you've lost 30% of your stack to blinds and haven't played a hand. Â Now you finally decide to play a hand, and you do it UTG. Â They have to realize you have something since you've sat for so long. Â Even with this the BB is going all-in, and you expect the SB to go in. Â You could obviously put them on a steal, but that seems too dangerous for them due to your play, so unlikely. Â This all-in is screaming call me, so I'd fold.
Even though you would be getting better odds on your chips JJ is not a hand you want to play against multiple oppenents all-in preflop! You could end up being against three overs instead of 2...which makes things worse not better.
As Beanie said, tight table and a tight you I'm thinking get the Frack out of Dodge!
QQ is my guess on the push here and you pushed with another caller holding 88-1010. Small pair takes mircle.
You may actually be looking for a coin flip early at this kind of tight SnG. Either double up quick or bust out and move on to the next one where you can hope to get more dead money players in there..
An ace came out of the flop and the rest of the cards were rags so I lost the pot. (I figured the chance of an Ace coming out was the same as a Jack but alas no Jack)
Of course afterwards I was second guessing myself saying "should I have raised that much pre-flop" and of course "why didn't I fold after the all-in", but I know I would have been killing my self if I folded and a Jack came out. Thanks for the input guys because the hand has been bugging me.
Hammer
Only one caller of the BB and the SB calls as well. IF any raise pre-flop (say double blinds) 90% it will take the pot down. No betting on flops and most of the time it is checked to the river.
Anyways, your at 700 and you have put in 120. 360 In the pot the Big blind made a simple move, 1 raiser, 3 callers, an all in can be expected.
- putting in 120 under the gun with JJ? I dont like this that earlier in a bingo bongo tourney. I would min bet, hope someone reraised, if not take a flop and pump it if no AKQ comes. Very unorthadox, but you need to double up early in these tourneys to have a shot and slipping in with jacks is a way to do it. Sounds like the table is weak/loose, with three to 5 seeing the flop and folding on a bet to the flop.
- the reason for not trying to pump preflop is that in your position, your going to get callers in an early SnG on party (any high paint unpaired, and A-x is going to call), you will get reraised with A-T or higher, or KQ when there are 4 people in. Ideally the button does that allowing you to push all in and trap behind you for a HUGE pot that your over 50% in against button most times, if not better as in this case.
- Also the reason I like seeing a flop with that many people is that if the flop comes low or with a jack, your going to get your chips in and double up plus whats in the pot, yes your jacks are a dog to 3 players but thats early rounds of bingo (your still a dog when 3 people call your raise as well)- and if you hit a hand you have to advertise it, it will buy you breathing room
- JJ - 88 are huge money loosers UTG in these tourneys, +EV might even be to fold into a loose/passive table... but I dont have the fortitude to fold I'd rather just buy into another SnG
I haven't looked at the true result of your post, but I would suspect that button had A-T and made a move on the flop. You pushed all in and probably had 1-2 callers, (low pair and big paint) and an ace came on the flop? hopefully you won when a J came on the river