Did I play badly?

Any advice on this?

It's a cash game, NL, blinds 1 and 2. I'm on the button with about $150 and raise to 4xbb with A9 offsuit, not a great hand but worth a position raise I felt. Two players call.

Flop comes A 8 6, two hearts, one diamond. It is cheked to me. I have top pair but am wary of my kicker, although I suspect that anyone with a higher kicker would have raised or maybe even reraised pre-flop. To find out where I am and as I don't want anyone drawing cheap, I make a pot sized bet. One player calls (he has about $230) the other folds. I suspect the caller (who I have noted as a fairly solid player but who like to see flops and can be loose occasionally) is drawing to a heart flush, a straight (although I dismiss this as he called a pre-flop raise), has an A with a smaller kicker or maybe second pair. I am fairly certain I'm in front.

Turn brings the T of diamonds. Caller checks to me and I make a pot sized bet. Caller calls.

River is 7 of diamonds. Caller moves all-in. I can't put him on a flush as he called the flop with one diamond (unless he has the A and a smaller diamond). I figure that the straight I have made is very likely to be in front and so I call.

He turns over K8 of diamonds and I have lost my stack. He called pot sized bets with second pair and a three-flush on the flop and second pair and a four flush on the turn. I can understand the latter call but not the former.

Where did I go wrong? Was I incorrect to call? I knew a flush was a possibility but couldn't persuade myself that he had it. Or is this just a bad beat or poor play by an opponent who got lucky?

Any comments welcome - I'm still learning!

I you had of thought this:

Originally Posted by bunthorne

I have top pair but am wary of my kicker,

Before you did this:

Originally Posted by bunthorne

I'm on the button with about $150 and raise to 4xbb with A9 offsuit, not a great hand but worth a position raise I felt.

You would have saved yourself all the agonising that followed.

Other then that he's a lucky fish. I still fold the river though, not because I think he hit the flush but because I only have TPNK. Theres a ton of things he could have that beat me.


Keeping yourself out of tough spots is more profitable then makng good decisions in tough spots.

I would have figured him for a set with that action...

- sed

The opponent was adventurous, but when your post-flop bet is called by someone you have tabbed as fairly solid, it looks like there's a good chance you're behind, even though it's not so in actuality. If so, I'm not sure I like continuing to bet unless you're deliberately trying to get him to fold the better hand.

OP had a straight to the ten with the 9 in his hand. I would probably go broke against this backdoor flush too. If it had been a 3rd heart that hit, I may be able to get away from it.

I think that final call depends alot on how big the stack sizes are compared to the pot. I wouldnt figure my A9 to be ahead here much after a call on the flop and turn and then the third flush card on top of that but if there was only a little left that he pushed then i dont think its tooooo bad a river call. If he went in for more than the size of the pot though i think its pretty terrible.
I fold preflop or maybe try a raise + continuation bet as a steal.
If he calls my flop bet i want a cheap showdown or fold

When someone plays a hand that passively and on the river goes all in, you know he's hit a draw or two pair.

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IMO I'd only raise with A9o in late position if I have observed the table enough to steal my oppenents blinds (If it's a substantial amount). Other than that I'd fold preflop. I wouldn't bet with it post flop with no kicker though. If it's checked to me i'll gladly take a free card. If not then maybe I'll see the next card cheaply or i'll muck. Your opponent did get lucky on his draw. But I think its more important to prevent those situations of being unlucky. Going to the showdown with A9o is hoping for a prayer.

Thanks for the tips and advice, everyone.

I take the point about A9 offsuit being weak, but I confess that if I am on the button on a six player table and it is folded to me, as was the case here, then I often raise with A9 or even less to try and pick up the blinds. Perhaps I am playing too loose and asking for trouble!

On the river when I had the straight, not just TPTK, and he pushed all in, I again take the point that such a player has hit something, but as the flush was backdoored I still couldn't persuade myself that he had it. More fool me!

I'll keep learning.