What am I supposed to think when a big stack raises UTG with a dead three?

Probably a buried pair bigger than my split 9's. So why does he come out firing with the ace on 5th? Could he actually have A33 here?

I hadn't been paying much attention to how this guy was playing and I felt entirely lost.

Tournament - HORSE - 7 Card Stud High - Level IX (300/600), Ante 60, Bring-In 90 (converter)

Seat 1: 804
Seat 3: 2,018
Seat 4: 2,535
Hero: 6,353
Seat 6: 1,055
Seat 7: 6,223
Seat 8: 5,574

3rd Street - (1.40 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx K___folds
Seat 3: xx xx J___folds
Seat 4: xx xx 8___folds
Hero: 9 A 9___calls
Seat 6: xx xx 7___folds
Seat 7: xx xx 3___brings-in___folds
Seat 8: xx xx 3___raises

4th Street - (3.70 SB)

Hero: 9 A 9 T___bets
Seat 8: xx xx 3 6___calls

5th Street - (2.85 BB)

Hero: 9 A 9 T K___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 3 6 A___bets

6th Street - (4.85 BB)

Hero: 9 A 9 T K 8___folds
Seat 8: xx xx 3 6 A 5___bets

Total pot: (4.85 BB)

He could have 2 more spades under or he could believe that your hand is air. A3 under is very unlikely given exposed 3.

Looks like Qx of spades to me, and the Ace just got him all excited to get some money into the pot.

Do you think it's likely that somebody would come in raising with three spades not including the A or K? They're live but he can have neither A23 nor 345 on 3rd, and I refuse to believe he'd make a steel wheel without showing.

In a cash game I'd probably just call down to figure out what was going on... bad habit.

I would if the K was already folded, I had the Q and no one else was showing a spade. But I'm lousy at Stud hi.

Out of idle curiosity, what was the buy-in for this prestigious event?

You could do worse than folding on third. If you're going to fold sixth, you should probably fold fifth.

I plan on being at Canterbury quite a bit during the Fall Classic. If $30/60 stud/8 is going and I don't go broke, that's where I'll be. Otherwise, the $6/12 usually goes about every day during that event. The beard is back, and most of the staff knows who I am. Please introduce yourself when I'm not in a hand.

It was a $36+3.

I gave some thought to folding 5th but I decided on the spur of the moment that it was more likely to be a semibluff than a made hand. But either way 6th didn't look good.

I'm wondering if I had reraised on 3rd, whether it would have discouraged him from taking a shot at me on 5th with ace-high.

My housemate and I may show up. I'm debating taking a day off work to play the Omaha/8 event. I might even play the Stud hi tournament since it's on a weekend this year. I'd certainly love to find Stud/8 running. (I didn't get to play Stud last year because I did too well in the tournament...) If I'm there I'll keep an eye out for you.

The stud tournament is the one event that I am definitely planning on playing. I'm mostly planning on playing in side games, but will probably play in a tournament or three if the side action is not to my liking. I've been saving up PTO for this, and I'm going to need a break about then. This whole business of working for a living isn't all it's cracked up to be.