Just getting an 8 game table started so no reads here in this blind battle.

After first draw I elect to keep the 9.

After the second draw I elect to call and then freeze with my 23479

After the third draw I check it back.

What were the alternative ways I could have played this hand, have I missed value. Should I have ditched the nine and drawn for the 7 after the first draw?

One viable alternative way would be for me to raise after the second draw, if he then calls and takes one then I pat, if he three bets me I can call and break the 97 to draw for the nuts. Is this preferable to the way I chose to play it vs an unknown in an 8 game hand?

Feral Cow Poker Hand Converter
PokerStars Limit Triple Draw $5/$10 - 3 players

Button: $325.49
SB: $159.33
BB: $121.00 (Hero)

Dealing Hands: ($7.00) (3 players)
Button folds, SB raises to $10, Hero calls $5

First Draw: ($20.00) (2 players)
SB discards 1, Hero discards 2,
||
SB bets $5, Hero calls $5

Second Draw: ($30.00) (2 players)
SB discards 1, Hero discards 1,
||
SB bets $10, Hero calls $10

Third Draw: ($50.00) (2 players)
SB stands, Hero stands,

SB checks, Hero checks

SB showed 5c 2s 7c 3c 9s, Lo: 9,7,5,3,2
Hero showed 2h 4h 9d 7h 3s, Lo: 9,7,4,3,2
Hero won $48.50
(Rake: $1.50)

HU, keeping 9 is good on flop - get to pat as soon as possible.
On the turn - I prefer raising. I think you are ahead most of the time as SB should be betting Tx or better (value raise) and then check behind river if called and call-break 97 if raised. As played, I would bet river since SB check is super weak, and he is likely to call with even worse hands "for information." What would you have done if he bet river?

If he bets river I suppose I call?

One problem with raising the turn is if he has a T or even J that he is going to pat hoping that you are still drawing you will induce him to break and give him a chance to draw against you. I do think you should v-bet the river though.

Ya, as joe said, I'd def raise 2nd if I intend to pat, and if I get re-raised I got a very good draw - with some information (if you've seen him to make this move in order to get you to break) you might even 4b then and get him to break, and then decide on drawing ...

raising turn with the intention of breaking when he calls/pats is pretty terrible imo. There are so many worse 9's that will call and pat expecting you to be trying to get him to break J/T's/some 9's. You'll end up breaking the best too often. I also don't think the value is there to raise and pat behind if he pats. Freeze is best, now bet.

Agreed, but I'm looking for someone in this thread that said to do this but I can't find one

First guy joewatch said to break 97.

-Any merit to 3b pre? I like it against a known competent player. Against an unknown, this could be bad since they could have a flatting range => raising range is strong.

I don't see a reason to 3b here. Would 3b strong d2 hands like 2x7 or 2x8, 3x8, and any d1 I play, and made hands ofc.

234 is stronger than 3x8 and many 2x8. Especially since HU BvB

Assuming x is not 7 (I meant that implicitly, forgot to write it), I'd take 2x8, 3x8 over 234 for playability. Any card we catch will always keep the draw smooth. and an 86made, which is the worst I'm therefore drawing to, wins pretty often, so I'm not really worried about not being strong enough.

Disagree. 234 draws smoother than 3x8 and even 2x8. The downside to 234 is the reduced outs the times you draw 5-6. But as shown in the hand, in a HU spot there is good value to drawing to smooth 9s

Is keeping the 9 really standard on the flop? If so, against which other positions (them drawing 1) would you keep it?

Def not standard to keep the 9 OTF and you should ditch it here. We have 3 to a wheel and villain is only drawing 1, so why are we wasting a chance to make a strong hand in favor of drawing (not even patting) to a hand that could be drawing dead if villain makes a hand?

I'd also 3! pre with 1/2 (or esp 2/3) blind structure, would prob still in this spot. Once you freeze and villain checks, vbet the river. It's pretty close, but considering you're almost never getting x/r here in first hand of session and villain should only be folding the absolute bottom of his range (like 3569J, 4568J) until he has reads, it should go in fine.