[xorbie]

A9 is a good hand to open raise from CO/button. It's a bad hand to raise 3 limpers with because odds are you're beat. Once I see that flop, I check to try to get action from second best hands on later streets because (a) anything that calls me (except a draw of some sort, which would be odd) has me beat and (b) I have no need to protect my hand because I have TP.