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Pocket jacks, or “fish hooks” by poker slang, are one of the best starting hands you can be dealt, but also a very tricky hand to profit from. In fact, this hand is arguably the most difficult to play in all of Texas Hold ‘Em.

So why are pocket jack so perilous to beginners? After all, pocket jacks constitute what is called a “made” hand, and a relatively high value one at that. Only pocket aces, kings, and queens are better pre-flop.

Playing with pocket jacks is challenging because, while it appears to be a strong hand, it will usually only be called by an even stronger pair. There is also the chance that it can be beaten by an overcard on the flop that pairs with an opposing player’s ace, king, or queen. You may be tempted to bet big with pocket jacks, but caution is strongly advised, as playing out the hand against aggressive players could prove disastrous to your chip count.

This article will highlight some of the best strategies to use when dealt pocket jacks, both before and after the flop.

Let’s begin, however, by explaining what not to do immediately off the deal.

How Pocket Jacks Fair Through a Simulator

When we run Pocket Jacks through a simulator (Oddsy Poker Calculator) we can get an idea on how Pocket Jacks fair pre-flop:

Why Not Open Shove?

You may be tempted to just open shove, as there is superficial logic to going all in before the flop. With the fourth-best pocket pair in the game, odds are in your favor that you are holding the best opening hand. So why not shove, force other players out of the hand, and take the pot?

First of all, since this is pre-flop, you’ll probably just be collecting blinds and maybe some stray limps. And that’s if things go well and no one calls.

If someone does call, however, there is a good chance that they have a superior hand. Since you shoved, going on to lose the hand means you lose your whole stack. Considered from this angle, the risk-reward trade-off isn’t too appealing.

So if open shoving with pocket jacks isn’t a good idea, what are the best strategies for playing this tricky hand?

Pre-Flop Strategies

Get Information While Keeping the Pot Small

Instead of open shoving and pushing for an early end to the hand, pocket jacks are better played slowly and methodically. Since pocket jacks are really a middle hand, you will generally be looking to check and call, not raise or push the pot too high.

Your goal should be to get as much information as possible from other players, which may necessitate checks and calls before the flop rather than aggressive raises to properly bait responses from other players. Again, escalating the hand too quickly with pocket jacks is not in your best interest, as the risk outweighs the typical reward in most scenarios.

Thin the Field

With that said, that doesn’t mean you should be playing defensively. It’s also important to take advantage of opportunities to thin the field by forcing other players out of the hand before the flop. Going into the flop with multiple players and a big pot could spell disaster if an overcard is flipped.

To control the pot and keep it small, however, you will have to only raise modestly and check when you’re satisfied with the number of hands still in play for the flop.

Consider Your Position and Act Accordingly

It goes without saying that position is incredibly important in Texas Hold ‘Em, and especially so with pocket jacks.

Being in an early position is usually disadvantageous, and this is certainly true when holding pocket jacks. Since, as mentioned in the previous section, your goals should be to thin the field while keeping the pot small and getting information on your opponents’ hands, there is no obvious best way to open.

If you raise, players will likely perceive you as holding a strong hand and respond to that information accordingly. As a result, players who call or even re-raise will be signaling that they hold strong hands too, putting you in a difficult situation before the flop. Many times while holding pocket jacks, opponents who stay in the hand will have ace-king or king-queen, leaving you susceptible to an overcard on the flop.

Things look different in a late position, however. You will be able to see which players fold and which players play the hand, including their respective bets. If the players ahead of you either limp or raise modestly, you can control the pot more easily with either a call or, if you are still looking to thin out some players, a re-raise.

Post-Flop Strategies

Small Card Flops

If you see a set of low-numbered cards on the flop, say a 2-4-7, you may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief and throw caution to the wind. However, now it is more important than ever to keep your composure and continue to gather information.

If you are in an early position or follow a check from the small blind, play a continuation bet and see how the other players still in the hand respond. At this point, it is vital to evaluate your odds by considering how the flop may have hit the checking player.

If another player is giving you a lot of pressure, they could have a higher pocket pair. Instead, continue to provoke the other player by calling or raising modestly and reading their response.

Over-Card on the Flop

If there is an over-cards on the flop, you should be ready to muck the hand. That doesn’t mean that you should completely dismiss your chances at once, however.

If you are in an early position, try making a small continuation bet to see how the other remaining players respond. If you’re heads up by this point, you should be able to get a good read on the other player and likely take the pot if they didn’t hit a pair themselves. If more than one opponent remains, it’s wise to check down and just fold to a sizable bet.

With a late position, you can more easily get a read on remaining players and consider either making a move for the pot, checking down, or folding, depending on the situation. No matter what happens, it is unwise to be dragged it on a huge pot at this point in the turn.

Use Your Table Reads Wisely

Pocket jacks are so difficult to play because they can get caught out in huge pots against superior hands, so you should not blindly call aggressive raises. Instead, you should be ready, willing, and able to muck pocket jacks if you encounter stiff resistance from one or more opponents or cannot get a good enough read on the table to be confident to continue the hand.

On the flip side, you should also be prepared to take chips from passive players. On a small card flop at a passive table, you should raise once and then, if you don’t meet much resistance, should consider getting more aggressive. An over-card is on the board obviously requires more care, and you may want to just call to stay in the hand and see the next card.

Be ready to pounce if you sense weakness, but always take care not to bet foolishly. After all, you may not have realized that you were playing against pocket kings or queens all along, which would make an overly aggressive play on a small flop turn out very badly.

Cash Games vs. Tournaments

You should also consider the context of your game, as strategies that work best for cash games may sometimes diverge from effective tournament play.

Since it is less likely for players to go all-in on the flop in cash games with less than pocket queens, you should pay especially careful attention to reading the other players and keeping the pot small, as outlined above. In cash games, good players won’t normally make aggressive moves with inferior hands, making pocket jacks a solid but vulnerable hand that must be played carefully.

In tournaments, however, players tend to play looser and may be aggressive with pocket pairs lower than jacks. This is especially true for when blinds increase during later rounds, at which time going all-in with pocket jacks because much more acceptable. While it’s still important to keep your wits about you in such circumstances, pocket jacks certainly become more appealing in the final rounds of a tournament.

Recap

How To Play Jacks With Cards

Pocket jacks are a good opening hand that must be handled with caution, as they bigger pocket pairs or overcards on the flop could turn your confidence into a nightmare. That’s why it’s smart to keep the pot small and get as much information as you can from other players before making an aggressive move.

How To Play Video Poker Jacks Or Better

Check and call to control the pot, but be ready to make a move if you are heads up and have a good read on the situation. Just be careful not to get caught in a big pot against a higher pair, or you’ll understand the perils of playing dangerously with pocket jacks first-hand.