I'm playing at Poker Stars. $50 NL table. I'm dealt JJ in the SB. It's limped around to the button who has about $40. He raises to $2 and I call. I also have $50. A VERY loose MP calls this bet (stack of $35). I saw him call a $3 raise w/ J2s previously. The flop is 349 with no flush draws. I check and the loose MP bets $.50 into a $8 pot. The original raiser raises to $1.50...both weak bets.I raise to $10. Both players call. I'm not really worried about the MP player as I am the original raiser. The turn is an A. This could be a great scare card to push out other players. I bet $10 and the MP calls and the button raises all in for $10 more. I fold, MP player calls River is a 10. Board is 349A10 MP shows 56o and button shows AA.

Your flop play is fine, but once they both call I would be ready to slow down or give up. I thought the preflop raiser had AK. Once the A hits the turn, Im giving up for sure.

Unless you have PT running showing the BB to be a absolute rock (I mean 2% pfr or less) it's hard to put him on an overpair (AA,KK or QQ) when he raises.

The small re-raise on the flop to me indicates that he wants callers though - I think my slowplay antennae might flash at that point (I might have a very good look at his PT stats then). I might then suspect AA,KK,QQ,TT or set of Nines - he knows MP is a maniac who won't fold to a mere $1 re-raise - so he probably isn't bluffing with AK (though he may think it's good it's hard to believe no pair is out there with 2 others still in). When he sees your re-raise it's hard to put him on a hand other than 999 or AA.

I don't like your bluff at the pot on the turn - you are only going to get a call if you are beat from the good player but he probably does have you beat and may well have a monster MP is very likely to be an 'any ace' kind of guy


Of course 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing and I would probably have played this exactly the same way - that's the problem with JJ-it's so vulnerable to overcards falling you end up betting out to protect it when you may already be beat

I'll agree with Ice Man. Most fancy play vanishes when an Ace hops off. You rarely bluff into players behind you or represent an Ace.

You need to assume someone has an Ace most of the time including when you have one. Ace rag is a major problem for a huge number of players.They have to see the flop even though it gets them in trouble. I read somewhere that Ace rag loses more money than any other hand. When an Ace hits on fourth, it often makes somebody two pair that started the hand with Ace rag and caught a piece of the flop.

Check and hope they check. Johnny Hughes