$200 NLHE 6-max: A9 squeeze play

6 handed, I'm in the CO.

I raise preflop to $16 with A9s. BTN calls, SB calls, the rest of the table folds.

Flop comes 9AT rainbow. Checks to me, I bet 15, BTN snaps the flat call and SB raises to 25. Call, call. Pot is now $125

Turn is 8 still no flush possible. SB opens out with $80 announced. SB has been playing pretty tight all night and the BTN just showed up to the table about 5 hands prior so I have very little information on him.

Whats the decision here?

Fold the turn

Btw why did you bet so small on the flop?

Bet much more on the flop. As played we need to know stack sizes and but I doubt I'm ever folding. Tempted to 3bet the flop but 3bets look so damn strong even live fish find folds for AQ/AJ/AK from time to time. That tiny bet is horrible.

Makes it $40 next time.

We're a slight equity favorite on the flop assuming that the SB is sometimes C-R our weak flop bet with AJ+.

However, with the best draw on the flop (QJ) getting there and SB betting big, we're crushed in this spot. We're looking at putting in about $200+ pretty bad with usually no more than 3 outs.

This is how I see the turn.

Board: 9c Td As 8h

Hand 0: 46.970% { A9s }
Hand 1: 53.030% { TT-99, A9s+, QJs, T9s, A9o+, QJo, T9o }

Even if we remove AQ & AJ we're 40%.
Remove AK and we're still 33%.
I wouldn't rule any of these out though. ~minraising a tiny bet less than a third of the pot is not strong and betting < 2/3 pot is also not particulary strong.

It's 3-handed.

For both of them to have Ax is difficult, and it's especially difficult after the turn for us to be ahead of both.

Button could literally have any ax,78,89,KT sort of hand. His range is wide enough that I'm not going to fold a hand that crushes his range when he has yet to act. Heck I'm almost happy he's still in the hand.

If we had any equity edge, it'd be fine. HU I'd just happy call down. But we're in bad position and having the BTN yet to act is very bad. We'd be lucky to have 33% vs. a tight SB and BTN on a straight draw.

We're going to get squeezed here a lot and we'll be totally lost on most rivers (6, 7, 8, T, J, Q, K) when BTN flats and SB bets again.

1/2 nl? Why in the world are we 8xing preflop, why are we betting so small on the flop, and why are we flatting the raise? Flatting raise is probably the play I have the least problem with here, but with the previous 2 decisions you made, talking yourself through all the decision is probably a good place to start.

8x preflop is standard.

Why can't we jam the flop

baudib1 said:

8x preflop is standard.

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It what world is 8x standard???

ovitoo said:

It what world is 8x standard???

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In the live poker world 4x-10x is the norm.

JOEBOB69 said:

In the live poker world 4x-10x is the norm.

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I would say its not uncommon but also its far from normal. most players who open for more than 5x mostly do it bc they aren't skilled enough post flop.

ovitoo said:

I would say its not uncommon but also its far from normal. most players who open for more than 5x mostly do it bc they aren't skilled enough post flop.

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No, they do that because people call anyway, so you get to play bigger pots with your good hands, which is massively +EV.

BelgoSuisse said:

No, they do that because people call anyway, so you get to play bigger pots with your good hands, which is massively +EV.

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You're talking about a specific scenario. When your at an aggressive table and you opening 5-8x then sure, for that situation its +ev.... were talking about a guy opening for 18$ with a9 here. I hope you wouldn't advise someone that that's the right play.

ovitoo said:

You're talking about a specific scenario. When your at an aggressive table and you opening 5-8x then sure, for that situation its +ev.... were talking about a guy opening for 18$ with a9 here. I hope you wouldn't advise someone that that's the right play.

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You're fun!

bgomez89 said:

Why can't we jam the flop

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I'm still curious about this?

Stack sizes:

I'm sitting on 400

BTN has about 200

SB has around 400-450, or just enough to have me covered.


8x raise is pretty much a min raise at the tables I play. Any less and the whole table calls any two cards for "pot odds"

I raised it preflop with the intention of getting it heads up.

Small 3bet seems good tbh.

This is our stoving even if AJ+ never call (which they probably do). Only downside is getting 4bet 200bb deep will be a sick spot.

Board: 9c Td Ah

Hand 0: 59.884% { A9s }
Hand 1: 40.116% { TT-99, ATs-A9s, QJs, T9s, 87s, ATo-A9o, QJo, T9o, 87o }

ovitoo said:

You're talking about a specific scenario. When your at an aggressive table and you opening 5-8x then sure, for that situation its +ev.... were talking about a guy opening for 18$ with a9 here. I hope you wouldn't advise someone that that's the right play.

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You don't adjust your raise-size based on your hand.

Small 3bet seems good tbh.

This is our stoving even if AJ+ never call (which they probably do). Only downside is getting 4bet 200bb deep will be a sick spot.

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Even by live game standards, there's basically no chance a tight SB calls 87o and check-raises with the ass end of a straight draw.

baudib1 said:

Btw why did you bet so small on the flop?

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I honestly wasn't paying attention. I grabbed chips without counting and tossed em out. Obviously two mistakes are made there, the small bet and not paying attention.


I was also thinking my two pair were in good shape and wanted calls, obviously leading to the tough decision which is the topic of our discussion!

baudib1 said:

Even by live game standards, there's basically no chance a tight SB calls 87o and check-raises with the ass end of a straight draw.

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I put in 78s
Tight by live standards is 20/12, 15/0s. They snap suited connectors all day multiway. Heck even many online tags do that.

I would stack on flop.