But what if it’s a Queen? Or a King? Then you have to analyze deeper.įor instance, if a Queen comes, ask yourself: are they the type of player who raises pre-flop with AQ, or are they more likely to have AK? Are they a solid, straight-shooting player who only bets when they hit, or a more creative player who will semi-bluff with a draw? I have made a lot of money with Jacks against pro players by simply calling on three streets. Let’s say the overcard is an Ace, and someone bets out. But if only one other player is in the hand, or sometimes even two, don’t necessarily give up straight away. Post-flop strategy with pocket JacksĪn overcard to your Jacks will arrive often, and if several players are in the hand, you are likely to be beaten at this point, and you should be prepared to fold. And if I have 15BB or less I would almost always be happy to go all-in. a later position raise.Īnd in a tournament, if I myself am short-stacked with say 25BB or less and I get pocket Jacks, it’s usually a good hand to go all-in with. If shorter than 50BB I would usually raise and gamble with him if he goes all-in, since then he may have AQ, or pocket 10s even, unless he is a very tight player. It can depend on his stack size and who my opponent is, but often I would end up just calling, especially if deeper than 50BB. an UTG ( under the gun – meaning first to act) raise, I would usually just call. If you don’t know them very well you can face some quite tough decisions – and there’s no easy guide for how to make them. In this case hopefully you can have some reads on your opponent. And if an overcard comes, as it will often, there is a good chance you will be beaten. The problem with Jacks is that this hand is unlikely to improve: as with any pocket pair, there is only a 1 in 8 chance of making a set on the flop. It depends very much on your position, your opponent’s position, your stack sizes, and whether they are loose or tight. It’s true, however, that there is no simple formula for how to play this hand. Pocket Jacks can be a tricky hand to play, especially for amateurs.Īs for me, I’m always happy to see a pair of Jacks. Want to improve your poker strategy? Paul Phua gives his insights into how to profit from this tricky hand

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