Poker Shark
How do you play pocket jacks?
Pocket jacks is a strong hand you raise and usually re-raise for value, even though an overcard hits the flop more often than not.
Pocket Jacks
StrongOpen it from every seat and re-raise it against most opponents. The reputation for being cursed comes from how often an ace, king, or queen flops, but jacks are still ahead of the vast majority of hands before the flop. Against a re-raise from a tight player it can become a flat call rather than a four-bet, and on a flop with two overcards against heavy action it is allowed to slow down.
This hand opens for a raise from every position, including under the gun.
Common mistake: Going broke against a tight player who has put in a third or fourth raise. Jacks are strong, but they are not aces, and stacking off preflop against a range of only bigger pairs and ace king is a losing battle.
Quick tip: An overcard flops more than half the time. That does not mean you are beat, it means you have a decision to make.
All-in equity before the flop
How Pocket Jacks runs against a few benchmark hands if all the money goes in preflop. Figures from the Poker Shark equity engine.
Pocket Jacks on real flops
Precomputed equity vs a random hand once the flop is out. Each link jumps straight to the JJ row.
- JJ on K Q J rainbow : the broadway board these hands live on
- JJ on J T 9 two-tone : connected and two-tone, where equities run close
- JJ on K K 2 : a paired king board
Know the hand? Now play it for real.
Practice these spots against opponents who punish the wrong move.