Hi all,

The reason I'm posting this hand is because I'm beginning to suspect I am not getting enough value from certain big hands, especially on the river. In general, I don't like going all-in unless I'm beating the vast majority of V's calling range. I prefer to focus on winning many small pots. Also, I think I might be giving certain V's too much credit in terms of range construction. At least, I was surprised to see his hand in this case.

Background: I had just gone through a tear. In the last eleven hands, I'd taken down 3 big pots: $12, $20, and $22. I showed down twice with a set and a FH. The set was the first big pot and it was against this V. I set-mined and he paid me off with half his stack. In the previous hand, I squeezed from the BB vs HJ OR, BTN fish who min-3bet, and this V in the SB who called. All folded to my 4bet but BTN fish, and I took down the pot on the flop with a c/r.

This V is fairly aggressive but in an undisciplined way. He'll bet on second pair, wide 3betting and calling range but doesn't have the good hand-reading skills to go along with it.

OTTH:

888 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.20 BB (8 handed) - 888 Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com

Button ($20)
Hero (SB) ($45.57)
BB ($19.47)
UTG ($10.29)
UTG+1 ($26.76)
MP1 ($21.31)
MP2 ($25.81)
CO ($8.70)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, J
5 folds, Button raises $0.57, Hero raises $1.45, 1 fold, Button calls $0.98

Flop: ($3.30) Q, K, J (2 players)
Hero bets $2.10, Button calls $2.10

Turn: ($7.50) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $4.50, Button calls $4.50

River: ($16.50) A (2 players)
Hero bets $6, Button calls $6

Total pot: $28.50

Button had A, J (two pair, Aces and Jacks).
Hero had J, J (three of a kind, Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $27.08

I had him on a tight calling range of 88-JJ, AKo, AQo, AJ-ATs, KQ-Ts, QJs, QTs, JTs. I had trouble trying to count the combos at the time but felt on the river that there were enough hands beating me not to go all-in. Not just the ATs and flushes, but there were some close hands I didn't initially consider like T9s or the random QQ. So that held me back.

Any feedback here?

I'd have bet bigger pre-flop, on the flop and on the turn.

Your pre-flop raise in particular is way too small. You're giving that guy pot-odds where he only needs something like 30% raw equity to call and he's going to have position on you for the rest of the hand. He's basically going to fold nothing here and you're hand is likely going to deteriorate as the streets progress.

Thanks for your reply. The sizing preflop was definitely in error. Didn't even realize it until you pointed it out. I normally do pot + 2x what I'm asked to call + a little more if I'm OOP, so I should have raised to at least 2.20. Maybe I made a math mistake due to all the "excitement".

I see what you mean about my hand "deteriorating" after that flop. A lot of hands with a diamond are probably continuing on the turn, plus A's and T's. So more in the neighborhood of 3/4 pot? Or even a pot-sized bet?

sorry I meant in general rather than this specific hand that the JJ would be deteriorating. As in nearly 60% of the time on the flop you won't have top pair.

Yeah on the flop you could definitely pot it here. That board is soaking wet and you have all of the sets in your range whereas he probably cannot. There are loads of 2-pair, Gutshot and pair+draw combo type hands that you can get value from. The only thing that has you beaten are the 8 combos of A10 and 109 and you even have outs versus them. Meanwhile there are lots of cards that you don't want to see on the turn so it's good to build the pot while you can.
That turn is effectively a blank card for you so you can bet big again here. As it transpires he was really near the bottom of his calling range so if you'd done the above you probably would have gotten less value then you actually did in this one instance. In fact if you could have seen his hand the whole time I don't think you'd have gotten much more value out of him than you did.

I think bar preflop your sizing is decent.. I don’t think you are ever getting stacks in on this run out versus a hand you beat..