small pair ace kicker question

[Sinnister]

HI all, if I call with split 9s with an ace in the hole, am I typically going till 5th with it? or am I dumping on 4th ifI dont catch?

[Andy B]

If you fold on fourth every time you don't hit, then your third-street call is pretty much guaranteed to be a loser, assuming that you're playing for a full bet. With Aces and Nines completely live in an eight-handed game, it's 7:1 against you improving on fourth. I will generally at least see fifth with (A9)9, assuming that the action isn't too heavy and that no one hits their door card on fourth.

[electrical]

If you're calling with nines, it should be because there is some reason to think nines will be the best hand later: Opponents have lower door cards, any higher door cards are dead, you have a live overcard kicker, you have a straight-flush card with live outs, etc.

In any of these cases, you have to evaluate your opponents' hands on later streets versus your new hand potential on that street. If you pick up a three-straight draw or three-flush draw, good. If you make a twoop, better. If you make trips, hooray. Unimproved, you need to think hard about what your opponents are holding and be honest about your chances against them.

Nobody ever went broke making a marginal fold on 5th.

If you're calling on third with nines in a situation where you think nines are best already, then you should probably be raising with them, unless you think you will not shorten the field with a raise.