Playing A9 from the BB

6a6yJIbkO_o

6a6yJIbkO_o

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I would like your insight on how to play A9 from the big blind after a late position player opens for a raise. Playing against both tigh and loose players. I just always find this hand a problem in the BB so I would like your insight.
 
BogdanStark

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A9 really? Raise to check out opponent hand, if you had call you should check all streets....if re-raise obviously fold...
there is 1 situation when I should play A9 vs strong opponent (those who can fold to bluff) I get 2 pairs Ace and 9, if only Ace, opponent really be have biggest kicker then me...
 
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DunningKruger

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I would like your insight on how to play A9 from the big blind after a late position player opens for a raise. Playing against both tight and loose players. I just always find this hand a problem in the BB so I would like your insight.

If their f3bet% is sufficiently high we hit that pot button. Wait.. what was our hand again.
 
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dturner100

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If their f3bet% is sufficiently high we hit that pot button. Wait.. what was our hand again.

Their "folds to 3bet percentage" stat is great if you've got a significant amount of hands recorded on such player.
As well VsHero stats would come into play if we're just playing the opponent and not the cards. At that if you've got the opponent pegged to fold why does it matter that we're holding A9?

Against any loose player, or player I don't know A9 is not in my range.
 
horizon12

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just call, this hand not for 3bet..
 
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DunningKruger

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Their "folds to 3bet percentage" stat is great if you've got a significant amount of hands recorded on such player.

Absolutely. More data is better than less. I use a more specific version of the stat myself in situations like the OP describes so it would be particularly true in my case.

At that if you've got the opponent pegged to fold why does it matter that we're holding A9?

Ah, maybe you didn't miss the point then after all. At worst you took the comment a little too seriously. Anyway since you brought it up, everyone sure does love to rely a lot on their hole cards to regulate their frequencies of various actions both pre and post (and why not, right) but sometimes there are people here who don't always bear in mind that there's more to determining the course of action that yields the largest expected value than whether your hand is Ah5h or Ah5d.

As an aside of sorts, conventional wisdom suggests that against a player we have very little data on (where we can presume he likewise has next to nothing on us) we're better off making aggressive decisions with a wider than normal range of hands and then eventually tightening up when/if we need to, as opposed to doing it in reverse.
 
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shamanking666

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if you are unsure of a hand just does not play, BB A9 will bring you many problems, it is always better to play it safe and avoid bad situations.
 
TheGenera1

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Absolutely. More data is better than less. I use a more specific version of the stat myself in situations like the OP describes so it would be particularly true in my case.



Ah, maybe you didn't miss the point then after all. At worst you took the comment a little too seriously. Anyway since you brought it up, everyone sure does love to rely a lot on their hole cards to regulate their frequencies of various actions both pre and post (and why not, right) but sometimes there are people here who don't always bear in mind that there's more to determining the course of action that yields the largest expected value than whether your hand is Ah5h or Ah5d.

As an aside of sorts, conventional wisdom suggests that against a player we have very little data on (where we can presume he likewise has next to nothing on us) we're better off making aggressive decisions with a wider than normal range of hands and then eventually tightening up when/if we need to, as opposed to doing it in reverse.


This lol. Also your "wait... what was our hand again" made me laugh. Very good point.
 
MasterTur

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A9 in the BB, check in the pré-flop, not raise....
This is one hand very difficult to play, because if you hit A, you have the over pair, but one weak kicker.... so this become a very difficult hand to play.
 
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bbiase

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Imagine you 3bet, get called and then flop comes As8c3h. You c-bet then gets called. Turn is a blank and you bet the turn and get called. River its another blank. Tough spot, since you're never getting called by worse, than it's never a value bet and you're basically turning your hand into a really bad bluff. Check call is not a good option since it's a 3-bet pre flop pot, so if the river bet by the villain is probably going to be huge, and you'll end up folding a huge amount of equity here. Your hand is good enough to just call pre and play smaller pot.

Same applies to KQ-KT, QJ-QT and JT. If I'm 100% sure the pot is heads up, I'm doing the same even with stronger Aces.
 
TheGenera1

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I just wouldn't play it unless I could 3bet it and get a fold tbh. That or I'd get called by absolute trash garbage by a 93/2 fish
 
BogdanStark

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I want to add some words:

I think that A9 is pretty good at the final table. I'v seen several guys who made huge bets and then continue bluffing successful. Even King high hand can call A9 preflop big raise, and if opponent get his K on flop, even with Ace on board, he will calling donk bets.
 
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thatmaximilian

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A9 in the BB, check in the pré-flop, not raise....
This is one hand very difficult to play, because if you hit A, you have the over pair, but one weak kicker.... so this become a very difficult hand to play.

depends on the opponent. is he floating a lot, is he c/f flops a lot? etc.
 
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BPEPFPDP

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With A9 i'm prefer play passive and see flop cheaply, but it depends on opponents, if villain tight mb 3-bet good option, if he playing more loose, then just call, `cause difficult to predict its range of hands, it can be very unexpected...
 
Dorugremon

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I would like your insight on how to play A9 from the big blind after a late position player opens for a raise. Playing against both tigh and loose players. I just always find this hand a problem in the BB so I would like your insight.

A9 definitely plays better at fixed limit. as for NL, and what to do wit it in the BB, well, that depends on who's doing the raising. If I thought I might have fold equity, I'd 3-ball the thief and make him do the worrying.

If I thought I might be up against a maniac, I'd take my BB discount and try to bink. Just be sure you can get away from a pair of aces if that's all you have, and the vill(s) look like they want serious action.

Against nits/TAGs, best to throw it in.

If your A9 is suited, play it like any other Ax-suited.
 
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1eCc0

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hm..just call, this hand not for bet..
 
Kanat

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With a hand in most cases you will dominate. On flop with A easy fold for big bet your opponents.
 
DontAskWh

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I think only call , because this hand is so weak for 3BB or 4BB.
 
arborest

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If its min raise.. Definitely should raise it over, but if its 3BB or 4BB then I will propably fold.
 
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bizbakol

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Every A hand lower than AK could be a potential risk to play with when you go all in before the flop or after. If you lucky and got two pair, this is another situation.
 
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Chandla

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Not Enough Info.. How Many BB Do You Have? How Much Was The Raise? Tight Or Loose Player?
 
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dr_pepper

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I have a term for hands like this it's "hospital hands".

If the player his tight, then his raising range beats you? You are entering a negative eV situation.

If the player is loose, why not wait for a stronger hand? If the raise with any ace, then would this be a coin flip? this is still not a positive eV.

When you enter the hand above and you do hit an ace, then it becomes very difficult to fold, thus initial call will likely lead to leaking more down the streets

If the opponent is stealing the blinds almost every orbit then you are going to be seeing a wider range from them. Maybe this would be a hand to defend with?
 
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