One of my troublesome hands.

[BobboFitos]

Alright. This hand happened about 2 months ago, and because I was outplayed so badly, I took a few days off Pokerstars to think about it.
I figure now is a great time to get 2+2ers input on how I played it wrong, because except for the river, I'm really not sure.

Anyways, it's 1/2 NLH on PS. I cashed in my typical 200, and have it built up to 245 or so, after playing about an hour. (The usual) I'm cruising, the table is fairly tight but not overly aggressive, and I haven't played a single big pot yet. My image is a bit looser than the other players, having shown down mediocre hands, but aggressive. (And I'm up)

It's folded around to the button, who has me covered slightly. (~255ish) He is the villain.

The bet sizes may be incorrect because this is from 2 months ago or so, but they are close enough to get the message across.

I'm in the small blind with Q /images/graemlins/club.gif T /images/graemlins/club.gif . Villain limps from the button when folded around to him, I complete, and big blind checks.
Preflop: 6$
(some of the suits may be off too, but I believe this is fairly correct)
Flop brings J /images/graemlins/club.gif T /images/graemlins/heart.gif 2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

I bet 6$, BB folded, Button called.
Flop Pot: 18$

Once he called me, I felt he could have 89, KQ, Jx, possibly 10,..? With him just calling I have no way of knowing where I am in the hand. I PLANNED to check the turn to give him the action. however...

Turn: 10 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
My "money card."

This was the best card for me to hit, and I felt that if I was betting top pair, I may have been inclined to check here; but; I've made trips, I tell myself he's still drawing or does in fact have a jack and is beind, I must bet it again.
So I bet 15$, slightly less than the pot. This time, I'm glad when he calls.
Turn Pot: 48$

River: Q /images/graemlins/diamond.gif
WOW! I've just made runner runner full boat. Plus that completed any backdoor flush, an 89 straight, or if he had AK (somehow?) I was going to win a big one.

I wasn't sure how much to bet, but I expected him to raise me, especially if I was right on mark if he had a straight.
So I fired 18, a weakish bet, but to my delight, he doubled it back to me.

Before I instantly moved the rest in, let me remind you I've fired 40ish into this pot, so now I'm slightly less than my buy in. It's a good pot size, 18 dollars to me to call a 102 dollar pot.
What has me beaten? QQ, JJ, TT.
a. We know he doesn't have TT because I have a ten.
b. Typically you expect a man with QQ (and JJ too, especially on the button!) to raise preflop, so I doubted that. Plus, I had a Queen, so there was only one combination of Queens out there.
c. I felt if I reraised the river, (which is what I was going to do with my initial weak bet) he would pay off with JT, 22, (I could imagine someone playing 22 that way, in retrospect) and POSSIBILY AK, K9, 89, or Ax diamond flush. (like AJd? perhaps?)
So I thought about it another 20 seconds, and since I really didn't feel he could've had QQ, JJ, or TT, what could he have had?
TJ and 22 seem more plausible than AK, K9, or 89. I figured he probably would've raised preflop with AK; this player is tight, K9 doesn't seem likey, and I doubt he would've called on a gutshot with K9. (Or AK for that matter, except if he felt his overcard outs were good)

Needless to say, (I'm going to stop my pandering) I moved the rest of the chips in. /images/graemlins/confused.gif What was I doing. He called in about .001 seconds. Just like that, I went from 45 up to my buy in out. The man had jacks full.

Comments on all streets would be MUCH appreciated. The only mistake I really think was to move in on the river. Perhaps I could've just called. I just felt like he would've paid me off with JT or 22 as well, with the outside shot of a straight or flush making a crying call.
And JT and 22 I would've limped on the button; and perhaps trapped down; and raised the river. Thanks.

[Wayfare]

I think he played this one real poorly -- far worse than you (I do not think you played this poorly), and was lucky to get that much money in simply because you had one of the only hands that would hurry to get all in. I also think that there are dozens of other times when you move all in and a weaker hand will pay you off.

I do not think that calling the river here is correct. I think making a bigger bet on the river is indeed correct, because he will still raise you with hands you beat and you can get the money in sooner.

I wouldn't worry that much about the one hand you lost a big pot in as long as there are plenty of other good hands you won big pots with.

[BobboFitos]

Thanks Wayfare /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Does anyone have any thoughts on ways it could've gone differently? His play went call, call, call, raise, call... Not too much to gather. Perhaps that was my mistake; not finding out where I was in the hand?

[RobGW]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. You played it fine. You had everything except JJ or QQ beat. And it was highly likely that he would pay you off with a worse hand. Things happen. I thought he played it well too. Deception pays off big sometimes.

[GimmeDaWatch]

There's really nothing you can do here. This is one of those set over set, top 2 vs. set scenarios where you have a huge hand and he just happens to have a bigger one. You cant possibly just call the min river raise, as 95% of the time he will have a worse hand than you here, and his play does not at all indicate JJ or QQ. He simply got lucky to flop a huge hand and have you hit two runners to make a slightly smaller one. I might not have bet this flop, but it doesnt really make any difference, as all the money was going in after you call a flop bet anyway.