How Would You Play Pocket Jacks?

[amts]

I had pocket Jacks early in a tournament. One player went all-in preflop. I folded, but I’m still wondering if that was the right move. What do you usually do in this situation?

 

[Rosylly]

Ofc, its the only right desicion u can make, especially if it was early in tournament with deep stack, and if he went all-in from early position.

ofc, u can call and potentially take the pot, but its not a poker, but gambling in that case, on my humble opinion

 

[Tadi]

You probably did a good job, so don't regret giving up. I agree with everything @Rosylly wrote.

 

[Iryna Stryzheuskaya]

I would do the same.

 

[TheNutz4You]

Best case your flipping. Early in mtt with mucho big blinds, it's an fairly straight forward fold and move on

 

[Rory59]

Cannot jam early with JJ, it’s Rae we improve and so many inferior hands catch up. Later on near the bubble is when it is a real decision, and never easy either

 

[Mig32]

That’s a classic tough spot — pocket Jacks can be one of the most uncomfortable hands to play, especially early in a tournament when you’re deep-stacked and facing an all-in.

Personally, my decision depends on several factors:

Stack sizes – If the all-in came from a short stack (say, under 15 BB), I’m more likely to call.

Position and player tendencies – If it’s a loose or desperate player jamming early, I might lean toward calling. If it’s a tight player shoving from early position, I’d consider folding.

Tournament stage – Early game? I might fold and wait for a better, less risky spot. Late game with shorter stacks? I'm more inclined to take the flip.


So folding Jacks there isn't necessarily wrong — sometimes it’s the disciplined play. But don’t let the uncertainty eat at you; the key is to keep learning from each spot and trusting your process.

 

[Mauricio Perrotta]

You did the right thing, especially at the start of a tournament