Set of 9's against draws

[stuartharris]

This is my 13th hand at this table. I've been taking notes, but haven't seen anyone make any exceptional or unusual plays, and I haven't been out of line myself.

It seems to me that, if I'm to be a successful NL player, this is a situation I need to master. His call of my bet on the flop is wrong, but only if I don't pay him off when he hits. Is this an easy fold, or are there enough hands that I can beat here to call this?

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.50 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

BB ($21.40)
UTG ($35.95)
MP ($6.30)
Hero ($23.45)
Button ($80.95)
SB ($25.40)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG calls $0.50, MP calls $0.50, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $2.75</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls $2.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG folds, MP folds.

Flop: ($7) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $5</font>, SB calls $5.

Turn: ($17) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: ($17) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $6.5</font>, Hero ?????

[wackybrak]

call?

[maciczka]

rotfl why are You even asking? call or raise him. btw. bet more on flop. and why You didn't bet turn? if he check/raise on turn You are behind, and now You maybe let him hit something at river, cmmn man..

[stuartharris]

I'm glad that I could contribute to your floor-rolling, but I'm not so sure it's that easy. We win money by enticing opponents to make bad decisions. I believe his flop call was a bad decision. It's only a good decision on his part if I'm offering implied odds by paying off when he hits.

If he gets to fold when he's still behind on the turn or river, but gets paid off when he's ahead, he's making a good call on the flop here.

I know that results don't matter, but, as both of you have suggested, I called and paid him off. I've wondered about the wisdom of this all day long. I suppose that I do beat enough A, J, and T hands that the call was correct, but I'm not entirely sure.