pre-flop raise aggression

[prrthd]

Is this an ok raise? Both of the players to my left were semi-loose passive players. Where is your cutoff for raising these kind of hands. Do most of you stick with just suited hands or do you push it further? I think for non-suited hands A9o would be mine.

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>

[GrunchCan]

Fold PF. You still have half the field to act behind you.

[Nick Royale]

[ QUOTE ]
Is this an ok raise?

[/ QUOTE ]
No.

[TwoShedsJackson]

A9o in that position is outside my raising range - I fold there. I'll raise AJo and above first in, ATo sometimes depending on the phase of the moon, but A9o I muck.

If you hit the Ace you could have kicker problems, hit the 9 you have to worry about overcards, can't make a straight using both cards, would need four to a suit on board for a flush which will tighten up all but the biggest maniac... more trouble than it's worth, I reckon.

[Entity]

I raise A9s and A8s, fold A9o, and raise ATo. A9o is marginal at best, since you're really just hoping everyond folds. I don't think it's bad, though -- I'd raise it from the CO and I'm raising 66+ here, but those are my personal cutoffs.

With loose passive players behind me waiting to act, I think it's closer to a fold than a raise.

Rob

[prrthd]

Thanks TwoShedsJackson and Entity. I have been trying to push my marginal hands lately pre-flop in these circumstances and I was wondering if I was going a little too far. Basically this is the exact reason I posted this because I figured it might not be +EV but I knew it was fairly close. I will pull back a little bit and be more conservative with my Ax off suit cards.

[VBM]

I'd be unabashed about trying to scoop blinds from the CO or Button with this hand, if you're in a weak-tight game, MP3 can't be that much worse...

FWIW, I usually fold A9o now, it's only my own personal reasoning, but:
1. I can't make a straight; I need AT.
2. I'm not suited.
3. unjustified by any sort of statistical quantifying, but if i pair my A, i feel more kicker-confident in my T than my 9 than a 1 card difference should justify.