Majestic Star NL 1/2.
My stack is $150 here.
Please pardon my fishy behavior in advance. This one was a beating. I need a peroxide shower after this hand.
Short session, left up $50 largely because this hand tilted me.
Hero UTG JJ
I bet 12 bucks which is the standard raise where I play (most of the time). The table I was at was wild all day I heard, but shortly after I got there two maniacs left broke and one left up $800.
MP Calls for 12. He just sat down. He's in highway worker clothes with reflectors. I know nothing about him. Button calls 12. I never saw this guy before either. Everyone else folds.
POT is 39.
Flop Q99
I check. MP Checks. Button bets 25. Both MP and I call.
Should I have just folded here assuming one or both had a Q or a 9?
POT is $114.
I call.
Turn is 2
MP checks. Button bets 40.
I call. Why? Well, I have the Jack of hearts. This played into my decision but I think it was a mistake. Should I forget about flush possibilities with a pair on the board in the future?
I have $77 invested in this pot at this point. More than half my stack.
MP surprises me by going all in for $200 (or so).
I felt that I could not win and wanted to fold but there was so much in the pot I felt I was committed.
Sometimes I can blame variance when things go wrong. Here I 100% blame myself. Any advice?

Fold turn.

Flop is close too. Annoying spot.

yeah this is kinda one of those marginal spots that isnt really worth your time. I think you can peel one on the flop just to make sure BTN isnt protecting a hand like 66, because he should certainly shut down once you call even if you check turn again. Once MP calls I'm definitely done with the hand, and especially once a heart hits. Drawing to a Jack high flush on a paired board with 2 interested people doing the betting without you is a pretty sure sign you are beat. Losing 20 BB's or so with JJ is not hurting your bottom line.

that's awesome analysis, thanks so much. I have to slow things down during hands. I'm acting too quickly. I should have analyzed it in your fashion and will do so next time.

I'd just fold the flop. Yeah, you might be ahead. But you're dodging two players having a Q or 9, both commonly played cards. And if you are ahead, you still have to worry about button sucking out or firing another barrel that you probably have to fold to. This is one of those live poker spots where you can make an absurdly exploitable play just because they're not really going to exploit you.

This too. Nobody at your table is going to remember that every time you raise pre then check the flop you are going to give up. Even if they did your opening range is probably tight enough vs their calling range that it wouldnt even matter, you probably arent checking that many flops so you're still getting value purely from your preflop action even if they fold to your cbets every single time, which of course they often wont so you're more than making up for these small pots you donate when you are value betting next time.

You're right about that. It's very much a live situation because I had no background info on them at all

You're 100% right man I usually continuation bet but did not on that occasion. Thanks much for the advice

Flop is close but I'd just fold it. Heads up I would probably call, but you are out of position, not closing the action, and with a marginal hand that is going to be difficult to play on most turn cards.