Jamming For Value!
Let’s consider for a moment the OBJECT of No-Limit Holdem….. TO GET YOUR OPPONENTS WHOLE STACK!
On to the title for this post….. the JAM! Jamming (Moving All-In) for value at any point during the hand has become a staple in my arsenal. I use this tactic in both Tournaments and Cash Games. It is a deceptive move if used in the right spot.
As you can see in the photo above, I played a hand recently in which I used the JAM on the river. Alot of players are so concerned with “Value Betting” and they forget the object of the game….. GET THE WHOLE STACK!
So, onto the hand above. I was about 300 hands into this 2/4 NL session on Full Tilt. The table was comprised of 6 Regular players, 2 randoms, and myself. When playing against the reg’s online, it is necessary to adjust your opening range. This allows the players to see you may be opening medium or spec hands from any position. This assures future value from big pairs/premium holdings.
I am under the gun w/ Ac9c. I open to $12 and am called by the Cutoff. The flop was 6c 3c 2c …. giving me the stone cold nuts. The cutoff had around $800 in his stack.. so I am thinking what hand can I represent her to stack this guy. I come to the conclusion that I can represent the naked Ace of Clubs…remember I opened UTG ( I could hold AA/AK/AQ for all the player knows). I lead for $8 into a $28 pot. The player in Cutoff raises to $32 and I flat here. My intention was to check-raise the turn… I feel my opponent would consider this a semi-bluff. Turn was 9d… perfect… I check… player in Cutoff bets $72 and I raise to $174… player calls. At this point I narrowed the range my opponent holds. I have him holding like KcQc or some form of flush. He wants value from his hand and thats why he doesn’t 3 bet shove the Turn. River was a total brick…. I JAM MY REMAINING STACK $548…..
Let’s think about it… jamming here looks like a total miss! It looks like I have the naked Ace and missed! The player in the cutoff goes into the tank…and calls. I take down a $1600 pot stacking my opponent (who by the way is a very well known regular).
Think about this concept…. value bets are good….but make sure you are not leaving to much on the table! The object is to get the WHOLE STACK!
Yesssssss!… I’m glad I’m not the only one who learned this technique. I think it’s a combination of disbelief + pure greed that encourages people to call a wild all-in on the river.