JJ in MP1, AAx flop

[baudib]

We can never cbet this, right? Always call the turn?

No Limit Holdem Tournament
$8500 Guarantee
9 players
Converted at weaktight.com

Stacks:
UTG DerCommander (4290)
UTG+1 chewdawg12 (3525)
MP1 Hero (3100)
MP2 ingles26 (3810)
MP3 tak1to (3160)
CO Shereff (2300)
BTN johnwalker4prez (4200)
SB stevesew (2325)
BB mrgreenfeld777 (5485)

Blinds: 40/80

Pre-flop: (120, 9 players) Hero is MP1
2 folds, Hero raises to 320, 3 folds, johnwalker4prez calls 320, 1 fold, mrgreenfeld777 calls 240

Flop: (1000, 3 players)
mrgreenfeld777 checks, Hero checks, johnwalker4prez checks

Turn: (1000, 3 players)
mrgreenfeld777 checks, Hero checks, johnwalker4prez bets 720, mrgreenfeld777 folds, Hero calls 720

River: (2440, 2 players)
Hero checks, johnwalker4prez checks

[bigspenda73]

4x your standard PF w/ these stacks?

[DoanDiggy]

I like the line (as long as you were planning to call the river), and I agree with the 4x. Since I've tightened up a lot in early position (more than 2/3 of the table behind me) and I'm only playing my big hands anyways, I like 4x to clear out some of the crap, get more value when I hit, and charge people for sucking out on me postflop. It can be harder to get value out of position postflop, so making it more preflop makes a lot of sense.

If you have a read that your opponent is loose/passive, I might like a river bet. If you have a read that your opponent is willing to lay down a huge hand (KK or QQ), or a different read that your opponent will bet/call shoves on the turn with a pair + flush draw or a hand like KhQh, check/shoving the turn might be reasonable. Without reads, though, I don't mind playing JJ passively on this board. I think it's good to let a lower pocket pair or a bluffer hang themselves here.

[baudib]

4x your standard PF w/ these stacks?

Not at all, generally 2.5-3xBB. This table had been raising and calling light so I was trying to get it heads up at most. Button still called very light and who knows what the hell BB called with.

[baudib]

I like the line (as long as you were planning to call the river), and I agree with the 4x. Since I've tightened up a lot in early position (more than 2/3 of the table behind me) and I'm only playing my big hands anyways, I like 4x to clear out some of the crap, get more value when I hit, and charge people for sucking out on me postflop. It can be harder to get value out of position postflop, so making it more preflop makes a lot of sense.

If you have a read that your opponent is loose/passive, I might like a river bet. If you have a read that your opponent is willing to lay down a huge hand (KK or QQ), or a different read that your opponent will bet/call shoves on the turn with a pair + flush draw or a hand like KhQh, check/shoving the turn might be reasonable. Without reads, though, I don't mind playing JJ passively on this board. I think it's good to let a lower pocket pair or a bluffer hang themselves here.

If BB had fired out on turn I was laying it down pretty quickly. I was prepared to call similar-size bet on river from the button donk.
I probably lead out on single-A flop here 50 percent of the time.

[chardrian]

your line is fine. c-betting isn't so bad either since both the Q and K (and any heart) are scare cards.

[soccerkeeper]

I like the line (as long as you were planning to call the river), and I agree with the 4x. Since I've tightened up a lot in early position (more than 2/3 of the table behind me) and I'm only playing my big hands anyways, I like 4x to clear out some of the crap, get more value when I hit, and charge people for sucking out on me postflop. It can be harder to get value out of position postflop, so making it more preflop makes a lot of sense.

If you have a read that your opponent is loose/passive, I might like a river bet. If you have a read that your opponent is willing to lay down a huge hand (KK or QQ), or a different read that your opponent will bet/call shoves on the turn with a pair + flush draw or a hand like KhQh, check/shoving the turn might be reasonable. Without reads, though, I don't mind playing JJ passively on this board. I think it's good to let a lower pocket pair or a bluffer hang themselves here.

4x?

[DoanDiggy]

4x?

Raising up to 4x the big blind.

[baudib]

Small hand = small pot; JJ on an AAx board is a small hand to me, although I could well be ahead here, I want to keep the pot as small as possible. If I'm ahead I'm not very likely to make any money by betting, unless there's a flush draw. Buf if I lead out I feel a flush draw could semi-bluff and push me off the hand too easily. By checking I reveal no information about my hand, as most would expect an EP raiser to check a set of aces on the flop.

I felt that the only way to get more chips in this hand is if the button bluffed me, which is what he did. (as I said, I think the scariest bet would be the BB leading on the turn).

I do think that I should probably bet this type of flop more often in the future with medium-to-big pairs to balance the times that I'd lead out with AK.

If I do cbet and get called, what's the plan on the turn?

[DoanDiggy]

I check behind in position. Out of position is really tough. I think that's why I like checking this flop.

In position is tricky as well. What do you do on a check-raise? You'd have to have a really good read that your opponent will make a play like that in order to not laydown what might be the best hand.