Interesting hand: JJ in small blind

MP1 has been pretty laggy, raising (what seems like) any face card. She has already lost $160 at my table since I have been there (about twenty minutes), losing $80 on getting AK cracked by a set (an ace was on the board), and by pushing inferior hands too fast and too hard (she had kicker trouble).

MP1 ($101.25)
MP2 ($76.25)
Button ($89.50)
SB Ultimate George ($134.75)
BB ($13.62)

Cards dealt to Ultimate George -- J J

MP1 raises $5.25, MP2 calls $5.25, Button calls $5.25, Ultimate George (SB) calls $5.25, BB raises to $13.62 (and is all-in), MP1 calls $13.62, MP2 calls $13.62, Button calls $13.62, Ultimate George....?


** Okay, what I'm thinking on this hand...There's no way in hell I can put MP1 on AA/KK/QQ here. Just no way. She (yes it was a girl) raised hard preflop, got three callers behind her, then a push....and she just cold calls? Knowing that MP2, Button, and myself will most likely a) cold call, b) fold? No way it's AA/KK/QQ...

What is your line here and why? Do I push to isolate against the small stack that could be pushing *anything* here? Or do I just limp along to hit a set, and if not, play the flop accordingly?

If you think you can get them to fold by pushing - go for it. If you think you will get at least one caller, then just call. Too many hands can hit a more favorable flop. You can only really play for the set with a call.

your reasoning makes me think you are not behind. getting more money in when you are ahead is +ev. whats so hard?

I like a push too.

easy push

5 handed, with the way a table reacts to a player like MP1, and the amount of dead money that will be in the pot.. I don't even think it's close.

Okay, I figured this was pretty standard stuff...

Ultimate George raises $134.75 (and is all-in), MP1 thinks...and calls $101.25 (and is all-in)


Ultimate George shows J J
BB shows A Q
MP1 shows A Q

Board -- T J 9 7 4

Ultimate George wins $265'ish from the main pot with JJJ


So this worked out beautifully. I knew over the long-run this was a +EV play...Just wanted to make sure.

Originally Posted by Ultimate George

I knew over the long-run this was a +EV play...Just wanted to make sure.

The value of any hand is relative to your opponents holdings, size of the pot and amount of money behind. Sometimes a good holding figures to be the best hand, sometimes it's a laydown or needs to be played carefully. This is the challenging part of poker.

Fuck the push with AA/KK only pre-flop crowd. Such thinking is reserved for those who can't see past their own hole cards. You pushed an edge hard with what figured to be the best hand and that's what NLHE is all about.

Originally Posted by Fnord

Originally Posted by Ultimate George

I knew over the long-run this was a +EV play...Just wanted to make sure.

The value of any hand is relative to your opponents holdings, size of the pot and amount of money behind. Sometimes a good holding figures to be the best hand, sometimes it's a laydown or needs to be played carefully. This is the challenging part of poker.

Fuck the push with AA/KK only pre-flop crowd. Such thinking is reserved for those who can't see past their own hole cards. You pushed an edge hard with what figured to be the best hand and that's what NLHE is all about.

You are so right. This is why my profits have sky-rocketed over the last 2-3 months. When I first started playing about ten months ago (hell, even five months into my play) this would have been an obvious *call* for me, praying to hit a set on the flop. No set, no bet, and I'm probably *done* with this hand, which is laughable. I was one of those campers following certain "rules" that said JJ was not a hand you could push in *any* situation. Over time I've gotten better at realizing when/where I have an edge and I play a lot harder/faster when I do.

Fnord, have you totally converted to "the dark side" that is NLHE? Or do you still dabble/play LHE?