Pocket Queens

[freestylejoker]

Just curious what everyone's play is preflop when you have pocket QQ? What about if there's an AI before you? Plus an additional AI caller?
I feel I find myself cussing a little when i see QQ, not low enough to know to fold'em, not high enough to feel very confident against the AI!!!
educate me.

[scrawnybob]

hi

Pocket Queens can be a killer hand - either for you or the other player

leaving the "facing an all-in re-raise" side for a minute

I would say generally you want to raise preflop - you only behind to AA or KK (still ahead of AK) - so you want to avoid letting a 78 suited 10 J type hand getting in for cheap ... beause when a low flop comes you wont know if your still ahead or now behind

that said - logically if you get re-raised then you have to consider you have come up against a bigger PP OR a player who will raise with any pocket pair or possibly suited or connected picture cards

this is what makes hands like Pocket Queens, Jacks or 10's difficult to play

your could be damned if you do ... or damned if you dont (raise a decent amount preflop)

so the actual flop is vitally important for these hands - you dont really want to be committing all your chips to it preflop

I think the best thing in early position is to raise - to make sure that there are no flush / straight limpers who could pick up a good draw or 2 pair on the flop etc

in late position again raise

I would tend towards the 3x 4x 5x BB raise (in late position) that usually is recommended for AA KK (maybe AK suited) as this at least minimises the limpers ...

this way you can look at a low board hopefully positively ... and think about a high board based on how they bet the flop

again position is really really helpful on pocket 10's, Jacks & Queens particularly on the flop where you can see the action rather than try to figure out your best action blind

on the all-in front it depends of whether you have the player covered (will you go out ... or them) if your in late position and you have two all-ins in front then your pot odds have changed dramatically with double the pot to play for ... so if its not going to cost me more (ie your not short stacked to one player) - then I would consider calling

however the player notes / how they have played so far is also very important - if they have been nothing but solid - then expect them to have a big big hand

if they havent been solid - they could be behind but loose OR they could have got dealt KK or AA and any idiot can all-in with them

hope thats a help
cheers scrawnybob

[mafalda34]

i guess u are playing with play money, but anyway QQ has a lot of equity even against two players all-in. If u are really playing with real money excep for the .05-.10 stakes which are like play money at all the other levels u wont see two players moving in very often so in that case it may be ok to fold`em

[jeffsbabe]

Like SB said "damned if you do....damned if you don't". For me it's whether I'm willing to "gamble" at that particular moment. I have gone all in to win and all in to lose. And recently I folded after the flop to a big raise and would have taken down a major pot if I'd called. Pocket pairs of any kind can be a mixed blessing. Now, do you know any more than before I posted this? Good luck out there.

[sparkyrose]

I myself will make a small raise but I like to at least see the flop before going all in. a cousin of mine won't even call with queens he folds them even if there is no raise lol even in live games.

[tots]

QQ is my favourite hand... I have had more success with it than failures.

I would make a min pot raise with it pre-flop and hope everyone folds.

If on the other hand the situation you described happened.. the player AI followed by the caller AI then I would have to take into account who it is I'm playing. I play 99% forum games so generally have a little knowledge of the people I'm up against and what they are 'likely' to be pushing AI with.

[jrini05]

Pocket Queens are an interesting hand, either you love them or hate them, ppl often relate them to jacks, however, im on the side if liking them. I tend to feel more confident raising with queens in the whole 3x the blind with the idea of a low board being able to push or even if a king or Ace comes up, im still able to fire out a feeler bet and see where i stand.. with jacks i find it hard to do all of this because i feel jacks are as controversial as 2's