Flopped a Set of Nines

[Sandwich]

Here is a hand from last night that "stuck with me", as in I'm not sure how I played it, and would love to hear others' opinions....

Full table, pokerstars 1/2 game, pretty loose table. I've noticed that UTG+1 seems to be a solid player, but maybe a tad liberal in the starting hands he plays, and definitely not afraid to raise without the nuts.

So I'm in MP and dealt 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, I raise, LP calls my raise, SB calls the raise, UTG calls the raise and UTG+1 calls the raise. Everyone else folded. That's five of us seeing the flop, which is:

5/images/graemlins/heart.gif A/images/graemlins/heart.gif 9 /images/graemlins/club.gif

So I've got a set of nines, the middle flop card. SB checks, UTG bets, UTG+1 calls, I raise, LP folds, SB folds, UTG and UTG+1 both call. So, three of us see the turn, which is:

2/images/graemlins/club.gif

No harm, I'm thinking, let's bet this out. Nobody has made a flush yet, although a flush draw (hearts or clubs) is possible. I still think I've got the best hand here. UTG bets, UTG+1 calls, I raise, UTG thinks for a bit and folds, UTG+1 thinks for a bit and calls.

The river card is:

A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Ok, so I've made a full house here. No flush is possible, so unfortunately I won't be taking the made-flushes along for some betting. With my pocket pairs, I'm thinking I've got the best hand here. Even if UTG+1 has made his trip aces, I'm sitting pretty with a full house.

UTG+1 bets. I raise. To my surprise, UTG+1 re-raises.... I pause... think... debate... close my eyes and push the "call" button, hoping my full house holds up.

Please let me know if you would have played any differently, or what I should be thinking at each stage of the hand. Thanks.

The results are below in white:

<font color="white"> Well, UTG+1 shows Ace of Spades, Five of Spades, beating my full house with a higher full house, Aces over Fives. I curse myself for my continued bad luck playing pocket pairs!! (Or did I mess this one up by my play?) Please let me know your thoughts/critique... Thanks! </font>

[Bob T.]

With two limpers already, I think 9s are below my raising threshold. I would probably limp, and try and get a multiway pot.

I would have expected that the A5 player would have played his hand a little stronger on one of the earlier streets. I might have fourbet the river, thinking that he had trips, and knowing that I couldn't be reraised. I definately think that you need to raise the river here, even though it didn't work out.

[steveyz]

I would have capped the river since there's no fear of a another raise. If he had Aces-up on the flop, I would have expected him to 3-bet. Despite the result, I've seen plenty of people 3-bet with trips on a paired board so I still think you should have capped as I'd say you'd win this more than 50% of the time, esp given your read on your opponent, that he is "definitely not afraid to raise without the nuts".
The flop and turn action is fine.

[steveyz]

I agree about not raising pf here with 2 limpers. I might do it IF I knew both limpers were weak and that everyone else would fold, but that's pretty rare.

[bunky9590]

I'd cap the river and expect to be good 80% of the time.

[jonahmavesin]

I find a chorus tends to improve the learning experience, so I'll bother to post this out:

I agree, I wouldn't raise PF with 99 once the multi-way starts to build.

I agree, I would cap the river. Only A5 and AA worry you, and there's no way you would expect them based on his play.

[SpaceAce]

I think raising the nines is iffy but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a bad play. Raising 99 is highly game dependent in my opinion. Can you fold the people behind you? Are the two players ahead of you likely to be holding weak hands?

Your opponent's play is very odd. He's acting like he has a weak Ace or some hand he is afraid to play. So, if he has AT or AJ and is afraid of AQ or AK, why is he suddenly so bold when the second Ace hits? Any bigger Ace is still ahead of him, as well as any set. To me, it really looks like he was filled up on that Ace and probably not with 55 or 22 because you will almost always see some raising by the turn against a set. I'm thinking A5 or A2. Considering your pre-flop raise and flop raise, he has to put you on a strong Ace or better so when he gets all happy on the river, he's saying he can beat AK, 55, 99, etc. Someone else said he'd expect to be good here 80% of the time but I think the actual figure is considerably lower than that. Still, I think I would go ahead and put in that last raise.

Edit: I see it was A5.

SpaceAce