JJ BTN on Q75r: Defend Your Middle Pairs

Hero
J♣J♠
Position
BTN vs UTG
Pot
Single-Raised Pot
Flop
5♦ 7♥ Q♠

While the board got scarier on the turn, folding JJ for a small price is too tight against a range that still contains many bluffs.

Flop Analysis

A pure call. We have second pair on a dry board; raising would only isolate us against better Queens and sets, while folding would be a massive over-fold.

Turn Analysis

Folding here is a significant mistake. Although the King is a bad card for our specific hand, the small bet sizing and our position make this a mandatory continue.

Note: Folding JJ to a small turn bet is too tight; we need to call to protect our range and catch bluffs like AJ, AT, or spade draws.

Key Concepts

  • Protection Priority
  • Villain Strong Advantage
  • IP
  • Dry Board
  • POT CONTROL