I feel like I'm out to sea on this hand

[frostbrn]

I know I didn't play this hand anywhere near the way I should have. When I got popped on the river I felt like a deer in the headlights, not knowing which direction to go and just frozen in my tracks. How SHOULD this hand have been played?

Thanks in advance

Pokerstars $5+.50, 70 left top 135 pay.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t2000 (7 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

CO (t31935)
Button (t21514)
SB (t22976)
Hero (t29032)
UTG (t14285)
MP1 (t43437)
MP2 (t14209)

Preflop: Hero is BB with T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to t4000</font>, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, Hero calls t2000.

Flop: (t6600) A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP1 checks.

Turn: (t6600) Q/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, MP1 checks.

River: (t6600) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t6000</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP1 raises to t20000</font>, Hero ???????

[HeroInBlack]

I don't mind the preflop call at all.

I would bet about 4500 on the flop and see if he has an ace.

Now that you've gotten to the river, I probably fold. A lone ace (although terribly played) is beating you. So is a lone 4, which he could possibly have if he was blind stealing preflop. KK is a possible holding, although not betting the flop with it would be a pretty big mistake. He could also have KJ, but checking behind on the turn was pretty silly.

Of course, this is a $5 tourney and hideous play is rampant.

Edit: AA wouldn't be a shocking holding for villain either.

[Pasterbator]

The only things you can beat are KQ (which i can't really see making this play) or a complete bluff. I think based on the way you played this hand, you need to fold.

Looking at the betting pattern, I think he has AA anyway. Min raise from MP. Check behind after hitting a set. Check on the turn is weird, but hes probably trying to induce a bluff. I think the river raise is for value.

[frostbrn]

I think his double check made me think that he didn't have an A (or AA), and at the momemnt when I bet on the river, I thought he could have been reraising with any 2 cards just to see if my bet was legitimate, or if I was trying to steal a pot where we've both checked down to the river. Now I'm starting to realize that this kind of move doesn't happen to often in these types of situations. When that reraise happens on the river like that in a situation like this, I'm beat WAY more often than not right? (without any solid reads on the villain that is)

[TomHimself]

The way yo played it I would check/call river. i would bet the turn though also or maybe the flop

[HeroInBlack]

Generally, but if the board isn't paired there, it's a much tougher fold.

If you had bet the flop, then you could have easily folded to his raise. Although, he might have just called with the nuts, representing a draw, and you might have gotten pretty badly hurt anyway, because you'd probably have bet the turn and gotten raised there.

You got just enough of that flop to give you problems and then hitting the turn too really put you in a bad spot. The board pairing on the river would be the only thing making me not think I had the best hand.

[zoobird]

That's what's confusing me about the other responses on this hand. With the blinds as big as they are, even a big stack like the villain here could have open raised pre-flop with practically anything. So I'd be tempted to bet on the flop with middle pair and I would DEFINITELY bet with two pairs on the turn thinking I probably have the best hand. Am I just thinking this way because I'm a rookie?

Sometimes you know you're beat and you got to lay it down.

[SixgunSam]

I would probably have bet the flop and I would have definitely bet the turn. There is no need to slowplay when the pot is this big. Value bet. If for some reason I played the hand exactly as you did to the river, then I would push all of my money in after his re-raise and hope my cards were good. The way you played this hand he cant put you on 2 pair.

I would bet the flop, you have middle pair and only one overcard.. You want to define your hand right now instead of lose money later when things get a little sketchier.. If he raised you could have just thrown the hand away unless you had an incredible read based on what he has done in the past.. Now the turn also needs a bet, no point in slow playing 2 pair with a flush draw and all kinds of straight possibilities on the board.. The raise on the end looks like a little bit of a bluff, you both checked twice and he probably thinks that you are just taking a stab at the pot.. and I don't think he would have checked twice even with trips on that board.. pretty dangerous cards especially since the 10 fills up a lot of people's straights