Playing Northern California $20-limit lowball (ace to five with a joker; single draw; blinds of $5 (on the button), 5, and $10; $20 betting limit before and after the flop; you can't check a 7 after the draw.)

Loose player opens. I've got a perfect nine: 9-4-3-Joker-A. I raise. Action is folded to the big blind who reraises. Both opener and I call.

Big blind raps pat, opener takes one card.

Do I break my nine and draw, or stand pat?

Unless BB is pretty loose, I would think this is a pretty easy break. I don't really play single draw lowball though, so I'm not sure if 3-betting a 9 pre-draw is very common. Also consider this, if you stand pat are you calling a bet from the BB post-draw?

If you draw, you have 12 outs to improve to a likely winner, and maybe as many as 16. I'm probably breaking and I kick myself if BB has a worse hand.

With a three bet from big-blind, I would definitely break the nine and draw. He has a perfect nine beat IMO. What did you end up doing?

there is a guy i play O8 with whose one of the best single draw california lowball players still alive (the average age is dead). i'll ask him.

This really amused me for some reason. Solid work.