A♦9♣ BTN vs BB, preflop, 85 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♦9♣
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 85 bb
- Pot: 3.5 bb
Villain opens and action is on hero preflop.
Which action keeps the best EV baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Fold
Why
Here villain opens and hero is on the BTN facing a single raise with A♦9♣ (A9 offsuit). The honest line is to continue: in position with the ace blocker, A9o is a routine flat and a mixed light 3‑bet, not a clear fold. The given fold is the most defensible only versus a very tight early opener, where the unsuited 9 kicker is dominated by the value A-x that continues.
Key idea
Facing a single open on the button, A9o is usually a continue (flat or light 3‑bet) because position and the ace blocker outweigh the dominated-kicker worry; only fold versus a clearly tight opener.
Common mistake
Auto-folding A9o on the button to any single raise leaks EV; the bigger error in the other direction is flatting it out of position, which is not the case here since hero is in position.