J-10 is one of the trickiest hands in all of Texas Hold’em. To start with, you’ve got little shot at making top pair with either of these cards since there is no doubt going to be a queen, king, or ace in somebody else’s hand. So if you’re staying in the pot with this hand and hoping for top pair then you are wasting chips.
But the dilemma comes in when you consider the straight potential of J-10. If the board does present you with a straight opportunity, then there’s a good chance that you’ll have the high straight with these cards. Seeing as how there’s the potential to hit a big straight with J-10, you’ll want to look for situations with large multi-pots to play this hand.
The best spots to play J-10 in is obviously late position since you’ve seen how many players have limped into the pot. If several players have limped in, then you have an excellent opportunity to call and see if you hit a drawing hand on the flop. This situation will give you a great chance to wait for your hand before betting big.
The opportunities for playing J-10 only get better when you throw a lot of tight players into the mix since they won’t be as likely to make you pay to see cards. If you can continue to see cards for cheap then you’ll be able to play your drawing hand into the turn and even river.
You can also semi-bluff with J-10 since it gives you a shot at getting some kind of hand down the line. Just make sure that you’re semi-bluffing the right players though because you don’t want to be counting on the straight to come through in a bluffing situation.
