Bellagio hand: A9o in BB

[Ronm]

Would you call pre-flop with A-9 suited??

[Ed Miller]

Would you call pre-flop with A-9 suited??

Definitely

[Rick Nebiolo]

Ronm,

Let's say a player in the cutoff spot has attacked your big blind (all else fold) and you have A9. It doesn't matter much whether you are suited or not. Ween defending head up high cards and playing well matter most.

OTOH, you might use suitedness to keep your attacks on a blind down to a proper frequency. For example, from one seat right of the cutoff open raise typical opponents with A8 or A7 suited but fold the same hands offsuit. The suitedness doesn't add much to a hand where you hope to get head up or against no more than two opponents, but waiting for suited hands to make this play keeps you from making the play too often (if you make it too often players ajust and play back at your frisky raising).

In a multiway pot being suited to an ace is huge. Most of the big pots you win will be on nut flushes and you still have the two pair and trip hands like A9 offsuit have.

~ Rick

[ACBob]

"In the first version I concluded that calling with A9o was +EV by about $10 (in a 15-30 game) but now I concede that the EV is close to zero and should be folded."

The great value of this forum.

Bob Lewis