Getting Baptized in the River for my Sins

[Scotch78]

UTG is 23/2.5/43(2.5/2.5/2) (VP$IP/PFR/WSD(AF-F/AF-T/AF-R)) after 150 hands. I raised the flop because I could see him betting a flush draw or any pair, though afterwards I wasn't sure how good the chances were of him having those hands. Not sure about the turn bet for the same reasons. Thinking I should have folded the flop and checked behind on the turn.

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (8 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Hero calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG bets</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls.

Turn: (4 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls.

River: (6 BB) Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
UTG checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls.

Final Pot: 8 BB

Scott

I woudl fold this flop. You have middle pair with no real draw aside from your backdoor straight. Your most likely behind a weak ace here, and I dont think your raise is getting a flush draw to fold.

As for the turn and river play, I like the bet on both streets.

[W. Deranged]

Flop raise I like. You're ahead here plenty of the time. A lot of A-high hands raise pre-flop. With the number of draws outs, I prefer a raise on the flop to a call if we're proceeding.

2. Go ahead and bet the turn. Often we're still ahead. When we're not we have like half the deck. (Against most As, for example, we have 17 outs). When we're ahead, betting is good. We don't want to give [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] flush draws free cards. Betting may let us showdown the river free if we choose to do so.

3. Definitely bet the river when checked to. Consider folding to a check-raise, but plan on getting called by a lot of As and even weaker hands.

So this hand is pretty well played in my opinion. The only question I think is whether sometimes we should just fold the flop but considering how many things could be betting here and the fact that UTG bet after two checks makes me want to play on further.