How many mistakes?

[pufferfish]

$0.50/$1, 8 handed, fairly loose/passive.

I'm three off the Button with As 9s.

Fold, fold, I open limp. LHO and Button call. SB completes and BB checks.

Five see the flop.

FLOP: [ Jd Tc 8s ]

So, a 1-card OE straight draw, 1 overcard (poorish kicker) and a backdoor flush draw to the nuts.

Checked to my LHO who bets. Button, SB and I call. BB folded.

Four see the turn.

TURN: [ Jd Tc 8s ] [ 3d ]

Checked to my LHO who bets. I am the only caller.

RIVER: [ Jd Tc 8s 3d ] [ Qc ]

I bet, LHO calls.

LHO shows: Js 9c and we split the pot.

TY,
pf

[tj00]

I am trying to make a habit of raising when first in.

[dux]

I'm not sure if you raised this preflop it would help you. To me A9s is not a good hand only because the hands it dominates are no good - A8 and K9 for example are junk. At a 50c/$1 table you could still see some junk hands come up against you, but I can't see a raise with A9 being profitable when opening up. But, it's playable if you are realistically anticipating a 6 or 7 handed pot for one bet. So far in the book of dux you have 0 mistakes.

On the flop, you have an 8 card flush draw and an ace (although if you are up against am ace rag that hit a pair or AJ, that's trouble of course). The other calls mean little, as some people just call the flop because it's cheap. Call it in here.

On the turn there is 9 x 50c which is $4.50, and you are charged $1. This is a pretty simple call in my opinion.

On the river you have to think you are good and it's a matter of the check-raise or bet out. I guess it depends on what LHO means, because I don't know.

You didn't play it too bad, and folding it before the flop couldn't lose you too much money.

[lil']

Did you consider raising anywhere?

[pufferfish]

I guess it depends on what LHO means, because I don't know.

LHO was meant to mean Left Hand Opponent.

Thank you for replying.

TC,
pf

[pufferfish]

Did you consider raising anywhere?

Yes, but I hate straight draws, particularly when my cards are in the “playing zone” more or less.

Thank you,
pf

[Bob T.]

I think that open raising would be better here, and if it was checked to me, I would bet the flop, I have a piece of it, and maybe noone else does.

[lil']

I would raise pre-flop if I was playing this.

[Huh]

I think pre-flop you have to open-raise. Especially if you have any chance of stealing the blinds. I've noticed at these limits, you will many times be called by hands even A9 domintates, especially from the blinds.

I would probably bet out. I was the pre-flop raiser...Oh wait.....Never mind. If I didn't bet out, than I would definately check-raise. You can't get much of a better flop.

At this point, the whole hand has taken a different texture, so I can't say what I'd do.

-Huh

[rigoletto]

I'm not sure if you raised this preflop it would help you.

I'm sure it would:

1) you fold hands like J9

2) You have a better chance of taking the pot uncontested on the flop

3) A bet on the flop has a better chance of giving you a free turn card

3) In the microlimits you often get called by smaller A's from the blinds

4) If you only openraise premium hands in late position you are to easy to read

[pufferfish]

I did play this hand passively and perhaps that’s a mistake.

I considered raising pre-flop and if I’d been one position later I probably would have. However, I think it’s very doubtful that I would have stolen the blinds.

Again on the flop I considered raising. I can’t say for sure that I was thinking this at the time but this table was going thru a very weak stage. It seemed like you could blow on people and they would fold and I had stolen several hands. I think I can make a case for checking the flop to see who, if anyone, is going to lay claim to the pot. If no one does, or the right player does, I may be in good shape for another steal.

When LHO bet I knew I had no chance at a steal as he was a very straight forward player and was sure to have a made hand. Now I know I have to outdraw him.

Thank you,
pf

[Dynasty]

This hand was played horribly. Absolutely horribly. I can't believe some of the responses in this thread which have some worse ideas than your play (fold A9s in LMP when nobody has entered the pot? Insane!). I know Clarkmeister raises A9s a majority of the time in all situations. I raise ATs 100% of the time.

There is absolutely no doubt that you should raise pre-flop. A9s is going to be the best hand here almost all the time. If you win just the blinds, that's good enough. If you get called, you'll get plenty of good flops and good bluffing potential with your pre-flop raise.

When checked to you on the flop, you should have bet. You've got a great flop. Bet it.

[lil']

I think most everyone is in agreement that he should raise. I didn't see anybody advocate folding.

[Dynasty]

I think duxDeluxe's response stuck out in my head because I read it first and most of the other responses were short.

[Ed Miller]

You should just get in the habit of exclusively open-raising from MP or later. There are very occasional circumstances where perhaps limping might be better, but A9s in a soft game sure ain't one of them. You need to get yourself experience playing in these situations where you have open-raised preflop with a "marginal" holding. No better time to start than now.

You basically need a very compelling reason not to open-raise from MP or later. If you raised 100% of the time you opened the pot from MP or later, you would be playing quite well (assuming your hand selection was good as well).

[pufferfish]

If you count left from the Button my position was 2UTG. Note the two folds before I opened. In a game that’s not full, 8-handed in this case, I don’t know how to realign the positions. Am I still EP or am I MP?

I don’t mean this as an excuse for my poor play, it’s just an observation.

I think your suggestion of exclusively open-raising from MP or later is excellent. I know I don’t do that nearly enough.

Thank your for you comments.

TC,
pf