Known as fishhooks or hooks, Pocket Jacks are among the more iconic starting hands in the game. Brothers They're technically ranked as the fourth-best starting hand, or possibly fifth if you believe ace-king holds more weight in the hierarchy. no-limit Texas Holdem That said, this hand has historically posed significant challenges for players.
Often, you'll find yourself going head-to-head against other powerful hands. Pocket aces, kings, and queens will dominate you, while facing hands like ace-king (often referred to as Big Slick) or ace-queen – both of which are popular choices – may leave you flipping a coin for the outcome.
The problem is that, despite being a strong starting hand, Whenever your Pocket Jacks face a lesser pair, there's always the concern of hitting sneaky sets from your opponents.
It's clear that handling Pocket Jacks can be complicated; that’s why 888poker has decided to explore this hand in depth.
We aim not only to provide you with strategic insights when it comes to Pocket Jacks but also to highlight some legendary hands featuring this pair from the history of poker.
Cary Katz in a Tight Spot with Pocket Jacks
Table of Contents
- How to Play Pocket Jacks Preflop
- How to Play Pocket Jacks Postflop
- Vanessa Selbst Takes the Lead with Pocket Jacks
- Devilfish Gets Fish-hooked
- Brian “Sailor” Roberts Triumphs at the 1975 WSOP with Pocket Jacks
- Unfortunately, there isn't a straightforward approach to playing Pocket Jacks before the flop. The strategy is highly subjective and influenced by a variety of factors such as
How to Play Pocket Jacks Preflop
the sizes of chip stacks, blind levels, and how you perceive your opponents' playing styles. table position Keep in mind that there's about a 12 percent chance that someone else will be dealt a stronger pocket pair than yours. Statistically, Pocket Jacks end up losing around 44 percent of the time. While that sounds like a lot, it still means you can expect a win 56 percent of the time. This 12 percent of the time
provides opportunities that savvy poker players often capitalize on. equity Let’s examine the winning potential of Pocket Jacks – which refers to the likelihood of securing victory based on the number of players at the table:
Considering various strategies before the flop, let's assume you're competing in a tournament with a short stack of 15 big blinds or less. In this case, your best bet may be to go all in, even if there's a raise ahead of you. Jacks are simply too strong a hand to fold; if you choose to raise instead, be ready to call if someone pushes all-in,
- 10 Handed = 19%
- 9 Handed = 22%
- 8 Handed = 25%
- 7 Handed = 29%
- 6 Handed = 34%
- 5 Handed = 40%
- 4 Handed = 49%
- 3 Handed = 61%
- 2 Hand = 78%
while ensuring that you leverage any potential fold equity available. three-bets .
By shoving If you have a stack between 15-25 big blinds, pushing all-in with Jacks becomes riskier. Are you truly comfortable risking a significant portion of your stack, knowing you may only be called by a superior hand or enter a coin flip?
As an alternative, you might consider placing a standard raise or, even better, attempting a three-bet all-in if there's already an open raise.
Most players face the toughest dilemma over how to play Pocket Jacks when they hold deep stacks. In such instances, it's advisable to steer clear of committing your chips preflop. This is primarily due to the likelihood that your opponents will only be willing to risk their chips with stronger hands.
So what’s the optimal way to play them in these scenarios? Many prefer to take control of smaller pots, which allows for better management. This means understanding how to proceed with Pocket Jacks once the flop hits.
The general approach is to open-raise Pocket Jacks before the flop. If another player has raised prior, a three-bet can be effective. This depends on the context; for example, if an aggressive player has raised and another aggressive player calls. deep stacked The critical element is assessing and adapting to the postflop board texture. For instance, suppose the flop lands as A♥K♦3♣, and the initial raiser continues betting while the other aggressive player calls. At this moment, relinquishing your Pocket Jacks seems prudent since one or both of them probably possess an ace or a king.
How to Play Pocket Jacks Postflop
However, if the flop appears low, such as 3♠5♦9♣, and similar action occurs, your strategy changes. Do either of your opponents have an overpair? Have they hit a set? In situations like this, it quickly becomes much more complex to hold onto Jacks. Many players will aim for pot control to reach the showdown at minimal cost, but if the bets escalate to an uncomfortable level, it’s wise to fold and wait for the next hand. Limping with Jacks is also an option.
Pocket Jacks can be surprisingly frustrating because they often lead to high-variance and challenging scenarios.
Here are a few notable examples from the history of poker.
Cary Katz in a Tight Spot with Pocket Jacks
During the third season of the World Poker Tour's Alpha8, Nick Petrangelo raised to 20,000 while holding A♣9♣, and Cary Katz, looking at J♣J♠, three-bet to 60,000. Paul Volpe, in the blinds with A♠K♣, moved all-in for 270,000. Petrangelo promptly folded, leaving Katz in a familiar predicament with his Pocket Jacks.
Could his opponent be holding a larger pocket pair? Or perhaps two overcards, putting Katz in a race? Maybe he was bluffing with a smaller pocket pair like tens, nines, or eights? These uncertainties make confronting an all-in with Pocket Jacks particularly challenging.
"Okay, I'll let it go,\" Katz said while folding his hand. The takeaway here is that when forced to three-bet with Jacks and then confronted by an all-in four-bet, the chances are that you’re either crushed or facing a flip. all-in Sometimes, knowing when to fold is the sagest decision.
In Season 10 of the EPT, the board showed 5♣3♦K♦ when an opponent bet 30,000 and the legendary David “Devilfish” Ulliott, holding J♠J♣, raised to 80,000. His competitor then moved all-in for about 250,000, placing Ulliott in a tough position.
This serves as another instance where even a seasoned player can find themselves in a challenging situation with Jacks. Ulliott had around 200,000 remaining and deliberated before ultimately folding his hand face up. His opponent never revealed their cards, but one could speculate that the Devilfish might have been either significantly outmatched or facing a flush draw.
Regardless, the raise on the flop provided him with sufficient insight to fold.
Devilfish Gets Fish-hooked
Vanessa Selbst Takes the Lead with Pocket Jacks
At the Season 12 World Poker Tour final table in Borgata, a remarkable hand unfolded involving Vanessa Selbst. With blinds set at 100K/200K, Selbst was dealt J♥J♦ and raised to 400,000 from the button. Jeremy Kottler called from the small blind with K♥Q♠, while Cong Pham added 200,000 from the big blind with 6♦4♠.
Once the flop came down 9♥2♥5♠, both players checked, prompting Selbst to make a continuation bet of 650,000, which Kottler called. Pham, holding a gutshot straight draw, also entered the pot, resulting in three players proceeding to an A♥ turn. Once again, all checked, and when the 5♣ appeared on the river, all three players checked once more, allowing Selbst to win with Jacks up. This hand propelled her into the lead, and she went on to secure second place behind Anthony Zinno, earning a hefty $492,569.
Selbst navigated that crucial hand with skill, managing to avoid overcommitting chips after the flop while successfully dodging potential draws.
Brian “Sailor” Roberts Triumphs at the 1975 WSOP holding Pocket Jacks
In the annals of World Series of Poker (WSOP) history, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, only one player has clinched the prestigious championship with Pocket Jacks as their winning hand.
Way back in 1975, 21 players, including Brian “Sailor” Roberts, put down the $10,000 buy-in, resulting in a top prize of $210,000 in this winner-takes-all event. Sailor eventually found himself facing off against his friend and roommate, Bob Hooks, in heads-up play. chip lead \"We discussed splitting it, but Benny Binion put a stop to that, believing it would lessen the authenticity of the tournament,\" remembered Hooks, who passed away in 2016. He also noted that neither player genuinely wanted to win that much money. \"You wouldn't believe how tight we were. Neither of us wanted to win. He had his reasons; the IRS was always on my case.\"
Unbeknownst to tournament officials at the time, Hooks and Sailor had quietly agreed to split the prize evenly, intending to maintain the charade throughout the final match. showdown In the tournament's final hand, Sailor held J♠J♥, while Hooks had J♣9♣ as the chips went in.
"We gave them a good show that hand,\" Hooks recounted. \"The hand that eliminated me was a legitimate play. The hand that beat me? Also all legit. It felt so good. It turned out you couldn’t have asked for a better show.\" Sailor Roberts, who passed away in 1995, has now entered poker history as the only player to have won the WSOP Main Event with Pocket Jacks.
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Chad Holloway is a 2013 WSOP Bracelet winner and has previously held the position of managing editor and live reporter at PokerNews.th888poker-EGR-logo-Mobile-Header-2021-white
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