The Little Big Pairs - Jacks and Queens

The purpose of this column is to present perspectives on your expectations and approaches when dealt big (but not really big) pocket pairs – specifically, jacks and queens. I have seen these hands played in countless ways, seen sets flopped that were cracked, witnessed the frustration of kings and aces falling on the river, and seen many big pots won, as well. So, a lot can and will happen when you begin with one of these premium hands.

There is hardly ever a time when I want to limp in with one of these pairs. I almost always feel very strongly that I want it clearly known to the table that I hold a big pair. If I am the first raise in, most aware players will give me credit for a middle or high pair, or two big cards. This is standard raising material from early position. If I am the second raiser, my action will be read as any pair (with the intention of shutting out the field) or only the top big-card hands, like A-K (suited or unsuited) and maybe A-Q suited. Of course, as you improve, you can make these aggressive preflop reraises with a variety of marginal hands, based on your sense of what the underlying situation is. But keep in mind that too much of that too early will perpetuate a loose and reckless image. If this is your preferred image, so be it. However, protecting genuine premium hands when the table has pegged you as loose and reckless may be very difficult.

Do I want to four-bet the pot before the flop with jacks? Generally not, simply because there have been some serious indications of strength. Also, it will depend on how many players limped in before the raising started. Let's say that two people limped in, and then there was a raise followed by a reraise. Here I am one off the button with the J J, and the action is to me. It's looking to be a big-pot hand, which generally means my pair will need some help. It feels a bit too aggressive to raise again, primarily because at this point, my read is that I may be in big trouble if someone else has a better pocket pair, or certainly I'm up against some overcards that render me at good risk of being out-flopped.

With queens, I may go for it if I think it will shut out the button and the blinds. Another consideration is that my capping the pot (four bets caps it in the cardroom where I play) and my image as a tight, aware player means there is a good chance it will be checked around to me if an ace or king flops. I have set the table up to put me on aces or kings. Therefore, I can check for the free chance to hit my set on the turn. Note that this is my thought process with four others contesting the pot. If I were heads up or against two others, I would represent the big card having helped me and likely bet out. It should be very evident based on who calls and how quickly they call whether my queens are leading.

Another common occurrence is for a raise to come from an early-position player, followed by three or more players cold-calling it. Then, the action is to me. Is it worthwhile to make it three bets with four other players already in? If it will secure me the button and pressure someone with an A-Q or K-Q to drop out, absolutely. By the same token, holding jacks or queens in the big blind requires a very different attitude. People have pretty much decided that they are going to see the flop by the time the action gets to me. It seems rare that middle-limit recreational players have the discipline to drop out once they have called even one preflop bet, despite how weak their hand may be. As such, aggression may best be saved for a more opportune moment, when it can create pressure and achieve something worthwhile.

Get into the habit of thinking of a flopped ace in a multiway pot as your clear sign to let go of your underpair. In the long run, you'll save a bundle. The presence of a king (or queen, if you hold jacks) might call for some aggressive probing. What I mean by this is that before you abandon your pair, bet, raise, or reraise to challenge whomever is trying to represent the king. You may inadvertently force out the real king, who reads your action as "big slick" or better. What a triumph that is when you are so fearless in your action that you force a better hand into the muck out of sheer fear! Awesome.

What helped me the most was recognizing that jacks and queens more than most other hands create a great deal of angst due to their highly vulnerable nature. A-K is similar, in that you love it being dealt to you, but you have experienced so much disappointment in its lack of development or its being picked off by some hand you believe had no business being in there in the first place. I know that attitude, and let me tell you, it's a surefire path to steaming. Everyone deserves to profit or lose by their own decisions. May that be your poker mantra until you truly embody it.

When you accept the vulnerability of queens and especially jacks, you will see an improvement in your bottom line more so by saving bets than by winning pots. These two hands do infinitely better against very few opponents, so charge full steam ahead in your attempts to isolate. But, quickly adjust when facing overcards or confident raises on the turn. You have one pair, remember that.

Here's another angle to consider: Look for the chance to raise an aggressive opponent on the turn when the board shows no overcards. For example, let's say the flop comes 10-high rainbow with little straight possibility, and you are in the middle with jacks. A player in the big blind has bet out and there is still one more player behind you. Here, you may want to wait for the turn to pop it, making the big blind question whether his 10 is good and forcing the last player to pay dearly for whatever draw he may be on.

Be alert to avoid the temptation to get too creative. As I have stressed before, you are better off for the other players to know you hold a little big pair and to drop out early. Small pots add up, and winning a lot of them also will strengthen your solid, aggressive image in the minds of the others. For me, this is of paramount importance. It gives you far more leverage later on.