Bad bet or bad luck?

[drdeutsch]

Howdy all. Just started playing nl Hold 'em online about a week ago. I've only been playing .01/.02nl limit games just so I can get used to the feel of the game and I definitely want to make sure I can at least break even consistently before I move up. Anyway, here was the last big hand I played.... did I play this right or did I just get the worst luck ever?

PokerStars Game #2272589012: Hold'em No Limit ($0.01/$0.02) - 2005/08/05 - 23:17:05 (ET)
Table 'Oriola' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: drdeutsch ($4.20 in chips)
Seat 2: Player1 ($2.09 in chips)
Seat 3: Player2 ($10.76 in chips)
Seat 5: Player3 ($5.11 in chips)
Seat 6: Player4 ($11.32 in chips)
drdeutsch: posts small blind $0.01
Player1: posts big blind $0.02

//Player2 and Player4 obviously have huge stacks for this table, but have been playing very conservativly. Player 3 has been the "maniac" player consistently and I had already beat him at two hands with mediocre cards.

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to drdeutsch [Kc Ks]
Player2: folds
Player3: calls $0.02
Player4: calls $0.02
drdeutsch: raises $0.02 to $0.04
Player1: folds
Player3: raises $0.04 to $0.08
Player4: calls $0.06
drdeutsch: raises $0.04 to $0.12
Player3: raises $0.04 to $0.16
Player4: folds
drdeutsch: calls $0.04

Okay, so I get pocket Kings and I'm going for it. I get re-raised and, just to make sure he's serious, I re-raise. he re-raises me again! Enough, I figure. I can suck the rest of his money out of him on the flop, turn, and river.

*** FLOP *** [Kd 4c Qh]
drdeutsch: bets $1.26
Player3: calls $1.26

Woohoo! Trip Kings! Even if he had pocket Q's, I've still got him beat. Plus, it's a rainbow, so no flush, but the straight possibility was there. Unfortunately, I wasn't even considering it. I know -- stupid.

*** TURN *** [Kd 4c Qh] [Ah]
drdeutsch: checks
Player3: checks

Okay, an A comes. Now I'm worried that he might have gotten 3 Aces, so I simply check to see if he bets. He checks too. Well, I'm in the clear, because if he had gotten 3 aces or even a straight, surely he'd be betting, right?! I mean, who in the hell re-raises twice without having pocket Aces or Pocket Qs and definitely won't raise when they don't get their straight? I've got this hand made...

*** RIVER *** [Kd 4c Qh Ah] [5h]
drdeutsch: bets $2.78 and is all-in
Player3: calls $2.78

Okay, no possibility for a flush, but I decide to push it and go all-in. Should I have played it more cautious here? After his previous betting habits, not just in this hand, but at the table, I'm inclined to believe he's got rags and was just following nothing.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
drdeutsch: shows [Kc Ks] (three of a kind, Kings)
Player3: shows [Ts Js] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
Player3 collected $8.10 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $8.50 | Rake $0.40
Board [Kd 4c Qh Ah 5h]
Seat 1: drdeutsch (small blind) showed [Kc Ks] and lost with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 2: Player1 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: Player2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Player3 showed [Ts Js] and won ($8.10) with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 6: Player4 (button) folded before Flop

Okay, seriously. Who re-raises twice before the flop on TJs? Was I just super unlucky here, or should I have played it more carefully when the A came up? I mean, I know I'm playing for pennies here, but when even a few bucks in involved, how do you play against these type of people?
Thanks,
drdeutsch

[andr3w321]

Okay, preflop you have to be more aggressive. There are 2 limpers ahead of you and you want to isolate it to just 1 opponent. KK is not something you really want to be playing against a lot of opponents with. Start by raising it up to at least 4x bb with 2 limpers ahead of you. Also, try to stay away from the minraises. After he reraises you, I'm reraising to at least .30 there. Flop bet is good. I would push that turn, why wait til the river? Other than that its just bad luck that you ran into JT there.

[drdeutsch]

Yeah, I definitely could have been more aggressive pre-flop, but it seems like everytime I check or bet pre-flop, I get crap cards on the flop and end up either folding or trying to represent better cards.

Anyway, I hesitated on the turn because I feared if he did have AA, or TJ, then he just got the best hand and woul definitely be betting. He didn't, so I figured I had it locked.

Thanks. I've definitely got to try being more aggressive pre-flop. Over the long term, you'll win, right?

you know what
just push it preflop
if he has aces, he has aces

I would have probably put him on AK or QQ or something
that's a hand I want to call me

he probably would have folded though
oh well

reraise 3x the previous raise as a rule

[midas06]

You showed average cards by min raising preflop. You should have bet the turn, if not pushed. Make him make the tough decision without giving him free cards.

[DimitriT]

.1/.2 is all about draws. Plrs are very passive and will call just about any bet to hit their magic card. As a result you will get alot more beats. Make them pay for the cards and you will come out ahead over time.

[Irisheyes]

Yeah, I definitely could have been more aggressive pre-flop, but it seems like everytime I check or bet pre-flop, I get crap cards on the flop and end up either folding or trying to represent better cards.

With KK you dont really need to improve on the flop, your strong enough already. Try n get as much chips in the centre as you can pre flop, you described this guy as a maniac, its likely he's raising with cards other then AA so get him all in pre-flop if you can.

Flop bet was good, push the turn - if he has AA I'm paying him off because the chances of him having AA verses QQ, JJ, TT or less (considering he's maniac) are too small.

Considering he called the flop bet on an OESD against the odds for 1/4 his stack theres not much you can do except pay him and get him the next time.

[Pingviini]

More aggressive pre-flop, first 4-6bb, when he re-raises you make at least pot sized bet, flop bet was good but you were playing scared on turn, normally you should be glad that an A pops after you hit trips. I would think he has AK AQ or something and make him pay. Other than that this was just bad luck.

But it is true that people at these stakes call too much, that means that you have to make them pay for the draws, if you see any draw possibilities and you have good cards make pot sized bets! Straightforward and fearless play should pay you off!