So my roommate and I were discussing this hand as I was playing it. We both had opposing ideas about how this hand should be played. I don't want to say who's side was on who's or what we advocated without biasing you guys but I wanna know what you guys think. Its been bugging me the entire day about what the EV+ move is here.

Poker Stars $0.01/$0.02 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 516727
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG: $4.03
CO: $2.00
BTN: $5.80
SB: $0.30
Hero (BB): $4.93

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BB with 6 5
UTG calls $0.02, CO calls $0.02, BTN calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.10) 9 A 9 (5 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG bets $0.02, CO folds, BTN folds, SB folds, Hero calls $0.02

Turn: ($0.14) 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.04, Hero calls $0.04

River: ($0.22) 4 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.16, UTG raises to $3.95 all in, Hero (argument ensues)


I don't think I played this hand well at all, so feel free to rip me apart where applicable. But I'm mostly concerned about river play (mostly curious because there really isn't that much to discuss here, but also might help me learn). Anyway, what's the EV+ move? If there's enough comments I'll definitely post what our positions were in this scenario.

Donk flop, raise turn, shove river.

On the Hand Converter, are you changing to "For the 2+2 forums" It would make it easier to read; bolding the hero, villian etc.

Okay, so he has at least 999. What does he think YOU have? Could he think you have A9? I think that is unlikely because you would then have button-raised (I think). You could have any two cards, and so could he. You are losing to A9, 94, 93 and any CC combo other than 2C4C, and he could have any of them, but especially JTc-KTc (although in larger games these might be raise/fold hands UTG). You beat any 9x hand that is not a full house. I would fold, and probably would have raised the turn by the amount you bet the river to see what he did. If he came over the top i would fold, if he called i would probably check/fold the river.

But I am a fish.

This is 2NL. Check/folding the river is bad.

Yeah I definitely should have raised on the flop/turn. This way I can somewhat limit his hand range according to how he reacted. Unfortunately, I know that with this betting line its almost impossible to put him on a hand, but purely from a statistical standpoint, what is EV+ here? How many times am I winning with low flush? AM I ever winning... which is the main point of debate between my roommate and I

I never play at that level, 99% 1-2nl, 1% 2-5nl, always live.

As played I would definitely fold on river. I'm giving him credit for a full house or higher flush here. I think you should have B/F turn and river. With the way you played it on the turn, I would have check/called or check/folded the river, depending on the size of his bet. I think it would have been EV+ if you b/c the flop, b/c turn, c/f river. But I'm a newb. I would like to here some other thoughts on my response also.

Okay, in the interest of trying to keep this thread up, I'm gonna tell you what my roommate said and what I said. Basically, he was appalled that I folded a flush. His thinking process was that there was no way that we both could've flopped a flush draw. There's 7 club cards out if that were true, and the chances that we were both dealt clubs were slim. By the same logic, having been dealt A9, 92, 94, is also so slim that he's disregarding it. (Not to mention that probably only A9 and maybe 94 would be played). So he's saying, "hey, look, this guy probably has trips. He's trying to get you to play with his 2c, 4c bets and then shove you all in at the river."

I actually don't disagree with him, I can totally imagine these guys to just shove over me with trips and disregard the flush draw on the board. Especially with these low bets, he probably thought I could have had anything. My argument was that nobody shoves all in, and in this case he probably had TP FD, or a higher flush.

Now, here's the problem. We dont know what he had. The bets dont limit his betting/calling ranges at all. He could have any two cards. So my problem is, given the board, could this be a +EV play?

Actually, I just checked poker stove. Against all 9s, all clubs, all 44, 22, AA, it's still an EV+ play, though its very marginal. 55.44% vs 44.55%.

If you and the roommate were arguing, you should have both thrown in $2.00 and called it. ;-) I think villain can beat a flush here, probably a good fold.